


My Sea to Your Shore

by Aquila_Star



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Consensual Somnophilia, Everyone Is Alive, Infidelity, Knotting, M/M, Magic, Mates, Other, Sexiness, Smut, Soul Bond, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Sterek Week 2017, almost forgot, and a brief moment of, show typical content, some violence, the usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 10:24:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 66,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12529216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquila_Star/pseuds/Aquila_Star
Summary: The setting was idyllic, but when he looked down at the poor animal caught in the trap, struggling for its life and its freedom, he saw only how its desperation mirrored his own, the trap he was caught in just as unforgiving. Unlike the rabbit, Derek's trap was not the result of random bad luck. It was a trap of his own making.As he headed back to the house, he couldn't help but wonder if there was someone who could wrangle him from his trap, and whether he would survive to see his freedom.





	My Sea to Your Shore

_let me surround you_  
_my sea to your shore_  
_let me be the calm you seek_

 

The early morning was cool and crisp, the slowly warming air filled with bird song and the scents of the forest as the wind whispered through the trees. Derek breathed it all in, taking deep breaths as he ran the perimeter of Hale territory for the first time after moving back home. The familiar air soothed an ache in his chest that he had become far too accustomed to, that he had all but forgotten was even there.

And yet, he wasn't completely settled. He should be. He was home at last with a degree and excellent experience in his chosen field, with a challenging and well paying job and a devoted fiance, but it didn't feel right.

He was halfway through his run, on the far side of Hale lands, when he found a rabbit in a trap.

Technically it was a fox trap, but traps of that kind don't discriminate. The rabbit's large hind leg was broken, the limb mangled and bloody, but despite the injury it flailed and scrambled to escape when Derek approached.

The setting was idyllic, but when he looked down at the poor animal caught in the trap, struggling for its life and its freedom, he saw only how its desperation mirrored his own, the trap he was caught in just as unforgiving. Unlike the rabbit, Derek's trap was not the result of random bad luck. It was a trap of his own making.

Derek sighed as he knelt, the rabbit giving one last try for freedom before collapsing out of fright and exhaustion, its strength gone. He felt his heart seize as he reached out, the frantic pounding of the beast's heart echoing in his ears as he grasped its head and body in his hands, twisting sharply to break its neck and end its suffering. He let out a shaky breath as he pulled the trap apart, dismantling it and extracting the still warm carcass.

As he headed back to the house, he couldn't help but wonder if there was someone who could wrangle him from his trap, and whether he would survive to see his freedom.

 

***

 

The house was filled with laughter as Derek slipped in through the back door, a full brace of rabbits in one hand and the trap in another. He smiled at the sight of his mother in front of the coffee pot, waiting impatiently as the pot filled with her favourite dark roast. Derek had missed the smell of that particular brew, it had been a long time since he'd been home. Too long.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she said, smiling brightly in his direction. “You were up pretty early, considering how late you got in.”

“I think I missed running in the preserve even more than your coffee, or Dad's cooking,” he replied, dropping the rabbits onto the counter.

“You missed me the most!” he heard Laura call from somewhere upstairs.

He shook his head, scoffing. “You wish,” he called back. Laura laughed, her glee evident through layers of wood, plaster and insulation.

“Apparently you missed hunting as well,” Talia commented, nodding towards the rabbits.

“I found one in a trap, and figured I might as well grab some more and see what Dad can do with them.” He held up the trap, placing it on the counter more gently than he had the rabbits. “Who is trapping on our land, anyway?”

Talia took a long drink of her coffee and sighed before answering. “The Jacobson's farm has been having troubles with foxes after their chickens, so they've been trapping to mitigate the problem.”

“The Jacobson farm is across town on the other side of the Preserve,” Derek pointed out with a frown. “The trap was on the edge of our territory.”

“That close?” Talia mirrored his expression. “I'll have to talk to Alex about that. Culling the fox population around his farm is fine and even necessary, but that far into the Preserve, they should be left alone.”

Derek nodded, glad to hear that there wasn't a random person trapping on Hale lands. Just then a raucous group all but fell through the doorway to the kitchen, laughing and jostling each other to be the first at the cereal cupboard.

As soon as they spotted Derek they diverted their course and came for him. Derek laughed as he was tackled by his youngest brother Matthew and two of their cousins. The rowdy pack of preteens took him to the ground, not that he'd tried all that hard to avoid it. He'd missed their youthful exuberance, although he was glad he'd arrived too late to see them the night before. He'd been exhausted and their energy was incredibly draining when it was focused on only one person.

“Derek! Are you back?” his cousin Julie yelled in his ear as her brother Sam jumped onto both of them, Matthew piling on top.

“Of course he's back, you moron,” Sam scoffed, shoving Julie off Derek.

“Yeah, but is he staying? That's obviously what I meant, dorkface,” Julie shot back.

“Back off, both of you, he's my brother,” Matthew yelled, shoving Sam onto Julie and settling in for a hug.

“Calm down, I missed all of you little brats,” Derek said with a laugh, hugging Matthew close as he sat up, reaching out an arm to pull Sam and Julie in as well. He'd been gone for most of six years, which was a long time to spend away from the pack, but he couldn't regret the education and experience he'd gained while he was away. Still, Matthew was a lanky eleven year old now, which was a huge change from the gap toothed five year old Derek had left behind. Seeing him sporadically had not been enough to prepare Derek for how his brother had grown. He'd been gone too long. There were kids in this house he'd never lived with, kids he hadn't seen grow from babies. He swallowed down the regret of missing them and reminded himself of how much it had been worth the time away. It had gained him the ability to stay, to contribute to the pack in a necessary and meaningful way.

Sam and Julie were twelve and ten, and the three of them thick as thieves, as they'd always been. Matthew had been a bit of a surprise for the family, being six years younger than Cora, so everyone had been surprised when Talia had announced she was working on a sixth baby.

“You three get up and eat something, you're going to be late!” Talia said, and the kids obeyed, grumbling about having to go to school, but Talia ignored them, reaching a hand down to pull Derek off the floor, using her grip on his hand to pull him in for a hug as well.

“Do we have to go?” Sam asked, shoving Julie aside to grab a spoon as Matthew filled three bowls with Froot Loops. “We never learn anything on the last day anyway.” The others agreed, turning their pleading eyes to the alpha, who rolled her eyes at them in return.

“Yes, you have to go,” Andrew, Derek's uncle replied, herding another group of kids into the kitchen for breakfast. “We only have one more day before we have to put up with you 24/7, let us enjoy it, would you?”

Sam and Matthew scoffed, but there were no more complaints and they downed their cereal as the scene repeated with the younger group. Derek was inundated by four more cousins, all just as thrilled to see him as their older counterparts were.

Eventually all hugs were given and breakfasts eaten and most of the kids and a few of the adults had filtered out to their respective places of school or employment. The house quieted down, for now, for which Derek was grateful.

There were a total of eighteen people living in the house at the moment, now that Derek was back, including Derek's grandmother Esther, Talia and David and four of their six children. Derek's brothers Ryan and Gavin were still at college for the time being, although Laura's fiance Michael had officially moved in, a few months shy of their wedding.

Talia's younger brother Andrew and his wife Nicole had four kids in total, Sam and Julie were the older two, and there was Hayley and Jaime, who were six and four, creating another sub group of kids along with Brooke and Danica, also six and four, the daughters of the youngest Hale brother, Peter, and his wife Cara, who was a few months shy of giving birth to their third. It would be a busy autumn for the Hale Family, an autumn Derek was excitedly looking forward to.

The house was pretty much always loud, busy and chaotic, but Derek found that, instead of being overwhelmed by the idea of coming back, he was thrilled. He may be firmly on the introverted side, but he had missed his family, all their craziness aside, and he was happy to be home.

“It's going to take some getting used to again isn't it?” Talia commented, and Derek wondered if she'd learned to read minds while he'd been away. “All the insanity.”

“Maybe a bit,” he replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “There's a lot more people here than there were when I left, it'll take some time.”

“Just be grateful we added another floor to the house, or you'd be even more overwhelmed,” David commented, heading straight for the coffee pot as well.

Derek had heard a lot about the renovation while it had been in progress, the frustrations and the excitement in equal measure. The result had clearly been worth all the effort. The house was big enough for everyone while still giving them room to grow. There were suites with a bedroom, bathroom and small sitting area that could double as a nursery for the families, and several rooms designed to house groups of kids, older and younger, boys and girls.

Derek's room was the same one he'd always had, but the room next to his, which used to be Laura's, was split into two, giving the rooms on either side their own ensuite. Every bedroom now had its own bathroom, with only couples and the various groups of kids having to share, an event that thrilled Derek to no end. He'd shared a bathroom with his brothers growing up, and that had been occasionally traumatizing and always frustrating.

“Yeah, thanks for that,” Derek said with a laugh, thinking of his private bathroom as he got out of his father's way. “Not having to fight Ryan and Gavin for toilet privileges will be a treat.”

“Well, we did it all for you,” Talia said, rifling Derek's hair as the others laughed.

“Did you hunt rabbits this morning, Derek?” David asked as he spied the brace on the counter.

“Apparently Alex Jacobson laid more traps than we'd anticipated,” Talia told him. “Derek found one near the territory line and decided to add to its bounty himself.”

“Good on ya,” David said with a grin, giving Derek's shoulder a squeeze. “I'll make a rabbit stew for tonight, it'll leave me time to prep more for tomorrow.”

“What's tomorrow?” Derek asked, smiling at Esther as she joined them in the kitchen, taking a mug of coffee from David with a grateful smile. She sat with Derek and Talia at the table while David began brewing another pot. Considering that caffeine had no effect on werewolves, the pack was alarmingly dependant on it and with Laura and Michael as well as Derek's aunts yet to appear, they'd need another pot at least.

“Pack barbeque, I'm sure your mother told you about it,” David said, sparking Derek's memory.

“Yeah, she did, I just forgot. When do the boys get back?” he asked.

“Ryan by about 4pm today and Gavin should be here tomorrow morning,” Talia informed him.

“Gonna be a full house this summer!” Laura exclaimed as she burst into the kitchen, her vibrant energy as present as ever, Michael following at a more sedate pace. “Especially with Cara ready to pop at any moment.”

“Don't hold your breath, I've got four months left,” Cara replied from somewhere on the stairs, prompting the group to laugh again.

“Still one more mouth to feed, since you're eating for two,” Laura said with an exaggerated eye roll.

“Not that you'll do any of the cooking,” David pointed out, levelling his oldest daughter with a fond look. “Cara is the only one who is any help in the kitchen, though at least we'll have Gavin back this summer as well.”

“If they're the only ones qualified to help, why do you torture us all with kitchen duty?”

Derek grinned as Michael challenged his soon to be father in law, who flashed his gold beta eyes in return, to another bout of laughter.

“Because I like to torture you all, why else?” David shot back with a grin. “Be lucky I don't put you on dish duty with the kids!”

“On that note, I'm off to work!” Michael said with no small degree of false cheer as the others laughed. He filled up his travel mug with freshly brewed coffee and kissed Laura on the cheek before leaving.

A warm, full feeling settled into Derek's chest as the conversation flowed around him, rising and falling as Cara joined them, no doubt having stopped off in the bathroom after seeing Peter and their kids off for the day. Derek had missed his family, had carried an empty space around with him the whole time he'd been gone, a space that was slowly filling up again.

“Is Paige going to move in here when you're married?” Talia asked, shaking Derek out of his warm place and plunging him back into cold reality.

Right. Paige.

Derek still wasn't sure how he'd gotten himself where he was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to be there, but he didn't know how to pull himself out of it without damaging Paige and his family, so here he was. Trapped.

“I...I'm not sure,” he said. “I'm not sure she wants to live in the pack house.”

The whole group stopped and looked at him, their expressions ranging from shocked to confused. To them, it was unheard of for a pack member to choose to live elsewhere, unless need demanded it or the pack was splitting, as it had when Derek's great-grandparents had moved their children to Beacon Hills. Any other need was almost always temporary, such as university and work training before moving back home.

“She...doesn't want to live with the pack?” Esther asked slowly, her gaze penetrating Derek as it always did.

“How do you feel about that?” Talia asked, her voice soft, though Derek could feel tension in it.

“I don't know,” he replied honestly. “I'm not sure what to think.”

“You can't live somewhere else, that's crazy,” Laura stated, shaking her head. “It's not right of her to ask you to leave the pack. I thought she was fine with us.”

Derek sighed. He'd thought she was, too. He'd started dating Paige when he was in high school, and she'd seemed to love Derek's family then, and had claimed to miss them after her family had moved and they'd broken up. The family certainly had missed her, and had been thrilled with Derek told them that they'd gotten back together a few years ago, after meeting during their last year of university. But it hadn't been the same, and although Paige had seemed to get serious about Derek really fast, he hadn't been so sure, and her comfort level with the pack and their involvement in their future hadn't been as high.

Truthfully, he wasn't sure he was ready to get married. There was an almost painful tug in his gut whenever she or anyone else talked about it, a pull that was decidedly not focused in Paige's direction. It seemed to be pulling him toward something else, but he didn't know what. He'd thought it was merely the need to be home, but he was home and it was still there, burrowed deep inside him, some strange need to be...something. Somewhere. It had gotten stronger during the months preceding the move, and coming home hadn't lessened it at all.

“Are you completely sure you're ready to get married?” Esther asked, and Derek was reminded that she had been the alpha's mate for years, and had been exceptionally good at it. His grandmother had a way of cutting to the heart of the matter without dissembling.

“Of course,” he said, a little too quickly, hoping that his heart didn't skip too obviously. “I mean, it's time, right? We've been dating for years, we're high school sweethearts, that's how it goes.” He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, but it didn't seem that his family was convinced.

“If you don't...” Talia began, but Derek cut her off, getting up and backing away.

“It's fine, of course it is. I'm going to shower,” he said. “I'm all sweaty from the run and I...have to finish unpacking.” He pushed in his chair and put his mug in the dishwasher, heading out of the kitchen before he could be questioned further. He wasn't certain what he wanted, he just knew that he wanted...something. He didn't know what it was, and he wasn't ready to talk about it.

He did want to get married, and have a family. He did. And he truly believed what he'd said, it was time. He'd been with Paige for years, it had to be right. She loved him. He'd loved her too. He remembered loving her, though the feeling wasn't as immediate as it had been at one time.

He stripped and climbed in the shower, turning the hot water up and losing himself in the spray, putting aside his doubts and that damnable tug in his gut, determined to make it work.

 

***

 

Derek spent a good portion of the day unpacking his books and organizing his gear. He was set to start a job with the Beacon County Ranger Service in a few short weeks, and while he was looking forward to having some time off with no deadlines pressing on him, he wanted to be well organized and prepared for the job.

Various members of his family popped in from time to time, wanting to catch up or just chat or, more often than not, complain about each other. They loved each other with great devotion, but living in close quarters always led to conflicts. Derek wasn't surprised, and the old familiar routine was soothing to his raw nerves. He'd been increasingly on edge since he'd been back, a feeling that warred with the settled feeling of pack, with the rightness that had filled him since he'd arrived home.

While he'd been away, he'd been able to fool himself into believing that he could take a job anywhere in the country and make it work, that his pack was still with him despite the distance, and while that was true, he knew now that he would never feel happy and complete without them. Getting the job at the Preserve was the best thing that had happened to him since he'd graduated. Working at Badlands and then Acadia had been amazing experience, but he'd needed a paid position sooner rather than later, and while Beacon County was no National Park Service, it was home. It was his land and that meant more than any prestigious position somewhere else.

“Derek, come eat. You've been up there all morning,” Talia called, her firm voice penetrating the house, reaching into Derek's room. He'd left the door open for just that reason, needing to be alone but able to hear the pack. The bedrooms had been constructed to be mostly soundproof, enough to dampen the pack's sensitive hearing, unless the door was opened. Derek had never been more grateful for that than during his high school years, when the thought of hearing his parents or his parents hearing him was possibly the worst thing he could imagine.

“Be right there,” he replied, sighing deeply and shelving the last few books before picking up the flattened stack of boxes and carrying them down. He had no doubt they would make up part of the bonfire they'd inevitably have the following evening.

He stashed the boxes in the mud room and then joined his parents, aunts, youngest cousins, and grandmother in the kitchen, settling in as their voices flowed around him, discussing the food preparations for the barbeque and what Jaime and Danica had got up to that morning. Derek smiled as he served himself a helping of his dad's fabulous homemade mac and cheese.

Esther nudged the salad bowl toward him with a pointed look, and Derek capitulated, taking a large serving of greens tossed in a light homemade dressing. He moaned softly in bliss as he devoured his food. His Dad's cooking was worth coming home for, all other considerations aside.

“Are the Stilinskis coming tomorrow night, Talia?” David asked, making notes on his ever present tablet, no doubt determining just how much food they would need. Derek felt the tug again, stronger than before, pulling his head up to watch as his parents conversed, what was left of his food forgotten.

“Of course they are,” Talia replied, shaking her head at her husband's question. “Why wouldn't they?”

“Hmm?” David said, only half listening. “Oh, I just thought there was some kind of conflict with their schedule.”

“Not that I'm aware of,” Talia said. “They'll be here. Cora said that Stiles is looking forward to your 'infamous, mouth watering ribs', and yes, the air quotes come direct from the source.”

Derek's mouth went dry, the tug pulling harder, making his stomach churn with nerves and a feeling of incompleteness. He gasped in a breath at the ache, stunned by the immediacy of the feeling. He dropped his fork and looked down at his plate, overwhelmed and confused.

“Good, good,” David said, nodding and marking something off on his list.

“Derek, are you all right?” Nicole asked from beside him, her attention pulled away from where Jaime was mashing his salad into his pasta.

“Your heart is racing,” Esther added with narrowed eyes. Derek looked up, seeing that he was suddenly the center of attention, all eyes on him, clearly expecting a response.

He swallowed and cleared his throat, putting down his fork and pushing back from the table. “I'm not sure, I...I'll be fine. I'm going to go for a run.”

He stood up and picked up his nearly empty plate, the taste of the food now bitter on his tongue. He put the plate on the counter and tried to shake off his confusion...werewolves tended not to get sick, and he didn't feel sick, just...wrong. Off balance, like his center of gravity had shifted and he didn't know how to fix it. He'd never felt anything like this before.

“Derek, what...” his mother began, but Derek waved her off.

“I'm fine, I'll be fine,” he repeated, giving her a weak smile. “Thanks for lunch, Dad, it was great.”

“You're welcome,” David said, his brow furrowed as Derek retreated out the back door and into the woods. Derek heard 'what was that about?' from Cara before he took off running, chasing away the shakiness inside him.

Derek ran without thinking about where he was going, pounding over trails and through the bush, his t-shirt soon damp with sweat, his bare feet healing cuts and scrapes even as they formed. His mind was clouded, the tug even present in his gut and he wound through the trees.

He ran for...he didn’t know how long, but it must have been at least an hour, because when he reached the edge of the forest and slowed, his chest heaving more heavily than should be necessary considering his wolfy stamina, he found himself all the way across the Preserve, where a row of modest suburban houses backed onto the forest, both the sculpted and the cluttered yards at odds with the wildness of the Preserve they pressed up against.

He braced his arm against a tree along the edge of the clear cut rimming the forest, surprised to find he recognized where he was. The Stilinski house sat a few hundred feet away, quiet in the way most of the houses were in the early afternoon, all of its residents away, busy with their day to day lives. Derek hadn't been here since...he couldn't really remember when. It must have been before he had graduated high school, when he used to babysit a gap toothed Stiles while Claudia was busy and John was working a swing shift, or even when they just needed some time to themselves.

Stiles' hyperactivity was well known in their small community. It was a given that one of the wolves would babysit him, their stamina giving them a much needed edge in the task. Derek had been a favourite, and he hadn't minded in the slightest. Spending time with Stiles had never been a hardship to him the way Laura often made it out to be, and Stiles had seemed to like him the best.

The tug in Derek's abdomen had faded, but it sharpened when he thought about those days, about how rambunctious and energetic Stiles had been then, how his buzzed hair had made his amber eyes look even bigger, moles dotting his pale skin like constellations. He hadn't caught a glimpse of Stiles in over three years, though he'd been home occasionally since then, and he wondered suddenly how he hadn't missed the absence of Stiles in his life.

Derek gasped and sank into a crouch, the tug expanding, taking over his chest with an ache that took his breath away. He dragged in breath after breath, trying to push down the ache, completely mystified by it, wondering where it had come from, why it was coming up now. He pushed himself up on shaky legs, wishing that he could blame the long run for why his knees felt weak and his head was spinning.

His phone buzzed against his leg, shaking him out of his thoughts, cutting through the ache by giving him something else to focus on. He dug into his pocket and pulled the phone out, unsurprised to see a text from Paige, the ache in his gut turning into a hard ball of dread.

He'd been unsure of what he wanted with Paige, if he was ready for marriage, even if he still loved her. All his doubts and apprehensions seemed to have intensified, as if being home had cleared his head, had honed his fears to a razor sharp edge, cutting into him, impossible to ignore. He felt like he was surfacing after a long, long time spent underwater, like everything was finally crisp again after being cloudy for so long. He had pushed his thoughts and doubts aside for far too long and it seemed to be coming to a head now that they were both back in Beacon Hills.

He turned off his phone without reading the text, tucking it back into his pocket and pushing away from the tree that had been supporting him. He looked up at the Stilinski house once more, letting his gaze linger on the second floor where Stiles' window was propped half open, the tug pulling at him again. He ignored it and turned away, slipping into a jog, following a well defined path that he knew would bring him home faster than the way he had come.

The pull had faded, but its presence was undeniable and Derek knew that he'd have to say something. He was off center and not in a good way. He needed to talk to his Alpha. Maybe even the Emissary. That thought threw a fresh jerk into his belly, the thought of talking to Claudia unsettling him further. It was an eerie sensation to say the least.

 

***

 

Derek was distracted from his confusion and doubt when he finally got home, his brother's booming laugh filling his chest with a whole other kind of ache, one of happiness and contentment. He pushed through the back door into chaos. It seemed that he had been gone long enough for all the kids to arrive home, as well as Ryan, who was clearly the newest victim of the younger kids' enthusiasm.

“Derek, help!” he called out, waving a hand in Derek's direction for a moment before Danica claimed it, wrapping both of her small arms around his much larger one. “Get this pack of rabid wolves off me!”

Derek chuckled, having no intentions of helping.

“No one helped me out of the puppy pile this morning,” Derek said, crouching down and ruffling his little brother's usually well groomed hair. “I figure it's your turn now. But don't worry. When Gavin gets home you'll be free.”

“That's not until tomorrow!” Ryan exclaimed with mock betrayal.

“You'll live.” Derek couldn't hold back a chuckle, grateful suddenly that he'd been piled upon in two waves, instead of all at once. “After all, werewolves heal, remember?”

“I'll get you for this!” Ryan said, his threat diminished by the groan and rush of air emitted as Jaime jumped onto his belly.

The assembled adults laughed, but Talia stepped in, having mercy for her beleaguered son.

“All right, you lot, let him up! I haven't got my hug yet.” She reached down and grasped Ryan's waving hand, pulling him up smoothly despite the added weight of several small bodies, which went rolling off him onto the floor as he was lifted to his feet.

She and Ryan shared an embrace before she shoved him in Derek's direction. Derek breathed in deep while he hugged his brother, the smells of strange people and places slipping away as the scent of alpha and children soaked into Ryan's clothes and skin. Scent was another thing Derek had missed, and he felt grounded again, for now.

“Good to see you, Derek,” Ryan said as they pulled apart, patting Derek on the cheek.

“You too, brat,” Derek replied, shoving Ryan out of his arms and on to the next person. Talia joined him by the counter, pulling him close with a strong hand on the back of his neck, scenting and comforting him at the same time. He let out a long, shuddery breath as she pressed her nose to his temple.

“We need to talk,” she said quietly, and Derek leaned into her comfort. He agreed, he needed help, the tug and ache in his chest and abdomen a dull but insistent presence.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. She smiled, giving his neck a squeeze.

“After dinner.”

He nodded, wondering exactly what he would say when the time came.

 

***

 

“Close the door, Derek,” Talia said when Derek joined her in the study. He loved this room, it smelled predominantly like his mother and books. It felt safe, and that was something that no doubt helped her when she needed to have a serious discussion. The room was extra soundproofed, which also helped set Derek at ease.

He closed the door and padded across the floor, choosing to take the armchair across from where his mother sat on the overstuffed couch, not missing the furrow on her brow at his choice. They sat in silence for a few moments, Derek breathing deeply to ground himself with the scent of alpha and mother, layered with the notes of paper and glue and comfort.

“So,” Talia said at last, settling back with her feet tucked under her legs as she considered her oldest son. “You've not been yourself since you've been home, Derek. And don't try to tell me you've got a lot to get used to, you've never been like this any of the times you've come to visit. You were more settled then, not less.”

“I...I don't know how to explain it,” Derek admitted, sitting on the edge of the chair, restless. The tug was still there, mixed with the dread of knowing he'd have to turn his phone on and read Paige's text soon, knowing that she'd be coming to the barbeque tomorrow, that he'd have to face her, have to face his own certainty that it wasn't right. That he'd have to end it. His reaction to her text that afternoon had settled it for good.

His stomach was a mix of nausea and guilt, and it wasn't a comfortable feeling.

“You need to try. Your heartbeat is all over the place, you've been reeking of guilt and hopelessness since before your run this afternoon, and I know you've been confused and off balance, especially since then. What's wrong, hun?”

“Mom, I...I just feel off.”

“Off how?”

“It's like,” he sighed closing his eyes and letting it come out, hoping she'd have an answer for him. “Like, there's something in my gut, pulling me.”

“Where is it pulling you?”

“I don't know, it's...away. It's not here.”

“It's pulling you away from the pack?”

“No, being with the pack settles it, actually.” He leaned back and tried to pull up the words he needed.

“So what's it pulling you away from?”

“It's...Paige.”

Talia sat up, putting her mug bag on the table. “It's pulling you away from Paige?”

“Yeah, it's...yeah. It's worse when I think about her, or getting married to her. Her living here...it's just, no.”

“Perhaps you just don't want to marry her, Derek. You don't have to.”

Derek opened his eyes, looking at her, eyes pleading. “It'll hurt her. And the pack. They love her.”

“We do. We've always been fond of Paige, but Derek, that's not a good enough reason to marry her. If you don't feel that it's right, then it's not.”

“It's not right,” Derek said, and some of the dread faded away, as if voicing it made it true, made it real. “I have to end it.”

“I think you do,” Talia agreed, smiling softly at him.

“Soon, but...I think after the barbeque.”

“If you feel that's best. Is that all it is?”

Derek wished he could say that it was. But it wasn't, there was something else.

“No, it's...I don't think that's all. Honestly, now that I'm really letting myself think about it, it's been coming on for a while. Before she said we should get married, and I agreed. I don't know why I agreed. And I don't think it's all just about her.”

“She's just a small part of it? How long have you been feeling like this?”

“Yeah, it's not just her. It's been...more than a year. A little over a year.”

“Tell me everything. Even if you don't think it's connected.”

So he did. He told her how he'd been feeling off center and out of balance since last spring. How at first it had felt like he was in a fog, how it was almost nonexistent sometimes, but at other times it felt like he couldn't get his brain working. How he felt like he was missing something, something important, but that he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“I'd thought it was just the pack, and that's why I decided to actively find a job that was closer. I figured I'd be fine once I got back, but...I'm not.”

“When did you start feeling the tug?” Talia asked, propping her head on her hand and watching him avidly.

“I didn't notice it for a while, but...maybe in the fall, Octoberish? It was pretty sporadic, so didn't think...but when I put it all together, I think it's all part of the same thing. It's been more frequent, but once I got home...it's almost constant, like it's always there, but sometimes it's stronger.”

“How's your head been feeling?”

“Since I got home?” he asked, continuing when Talia nodded. “It's...pretty clear, actually. Not too fuzzy, just moments of confusion, but it's not the same as before. Maybe that's why I'm realizing it's not going to work with Paige. I don't even remember how we got engaged, it's all just a blur and she was there. I can't pull up the specifics.”

“It sounds a bit like magic, if I'm being honest,” Talia said.

“Who would magic me not to want a life with my girlfriend?”

“That's not what I meant, Derek. I don't think anyone 'magiced' you...I think perhaps it's something else, it's magic, but not active magic. It's not malicious.”

“Then what?” Derek looked at his mother, feeling hopeless. He'd never considered it might be magic, he'd never really considered anything, but then again, he hadn't put it all together like until just then, when he'd spoken it out loud.

“It sounds a bit like a bond. Or a pre-bond.”

“A bond?” Derek scoffed, shaking his head. “How could it be a bond? I've never initiated that with anyone, not even Paige.”

“Sometimes you don't have to,” Talia reminded him. “Sometimes it just happens.”

“Yeah, but...with who? I don't understand.”

“I'm not saying it is, Derek, just that it could be. It's the only thing that comes to mind, but I will talk to your grandmother, and to Claudia. We'll figure it out.”

Derek's gut tugged again at the mention of Claudia, and he closed his eyes, dropping his head back against the couch.

“What was that?” Talia asked, sitting up, watching Derek carefully.

“I...it's pulling again. When you...when you mentioned Claudia.” Talia came forward and rested a hand on his forehead before brushing her fingers through his hair. It stabilized him, grounded him, and the tug faded into the background again.

“I'll definitely talk to her then. Tomorrow we can talk, after the barbeque. Okay?”

“Okay,” Derek agreed, opening his eyes and smiling weakly at his mother as she brushed his hair away form his ear. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, dragging her nose across his temple, breathing him in and marking him.

“Okay,” she said, standing upright and taking his hand, pulling him up with her. “Now go spend time with your pack,” she encouraged, leading him to the door. “They missed you.”

Derek followed her out, his stomach settling as the door opened and the cacophony of the pack hit his ears. He had missed them, too.

 

***

 

The night was rowdy and boisterous, board games and laughter and a few too many wolfsbane brews for the adults, culminating in a midnight run through the Preserve with the pack. Derek hadn't felt so right, so at peace, since he'd left home for college, and the tug in his gut had been soothed. It was still there, but it almost felt like a part of him, like it belonged. For the first time he felt like it would all work out in the end.

His mood lasted until he had showered and thrown himself into bed, flushed and exhausted, werewolf stamina or not. He considered jerking off, the perfect cap on a great night, but that brought thoughts of Paige back to his mind, so he pushed it away, unwilling to brood on it any longer. He'd talk to her soon enough and work things out, and from there...well, he didn't know where he'd go, but at least he'd be moving forward. Moving in the right direction, at last.

He didn't wake until later than usual the next morning, the late night and the relief of having a clear direction had tossed him into a deep sleep, a dreamless one, or he just woke up so slowly that he didn't remember his dreams. His chest felt lighter than it had in months, and while the ever present tug had a hook into his belly as usual, his awareness of it allowed him to let it fade to the back of his mind. He felt tingly, alive, vibrant...all but leaping out of bed.

Instead of showering, he decided to go for a run, feeling energized and expectant...as if something was coming, something good for once, instead of something to dread. The mid morning air was hotter than it had been the previous day, the forest alive with the sounds of animals and birds. He stretched his senses out and lost himself in the forest, letting his feet carry him as they had the previous day, though the purpose behind it was much more pleasant this time around. This time he wasn't trying to run from anything.

And yet, the result was the same. His destination caught his attention as he neared the edge of the forest once more, finding himself at the same stretch of houses he had the day before. The area was much busier now. It was Saturday, so people were moving around in their houses, the sound of televisions and cars coming and going layering over the sounds of the forest behind him.

He stared in the direction of the Stilinski house, wondering why he was here again for the second time in two days. When he focused his senses on the house and he could hear John and Claudia in mid conversation, their voices warm and filled with humour, voices he was only just realizing that he had missed hearing now they were in his ear again.

And yet, there was no other heartbeat in the house, no computer noise, no video game soundtracks or eclectic ipod playlist, no boisterous sarcasm, things that Derek remembered were a part of a now teenaged Stiles. There was nothing distinct overlaying the murmur of voices from downstairs. Stiles wasn't home.

Derek had no idea why the knowledge knocked the wind out of him, disappointing him. Why the tug was ever more persistent as he bent over to catch his breath. Instead of dreading it, he had begun to look forward to having a discussion with Claudia. She was the best kind of Emissary, talented and knowledgeable, and exceptionally kind.

She would know what was wrong with him.

His senses unfocused, pulling back from the houses and into the forest as he turned to leave, hesitating only for a moment to wonder if he should stop off and talk to Claudia right then. He decided against it...he was feeling better today, the hook in his abdomen aside, and he'd see all the Stilinskis soon enough. All of them.

Derek took in a deep breath and turned away.

 

***

 

Lunch was on the table when he got home and chaos reigned, as per usual, in the house.

“Derek,” Talia called once the meal was finished and he was heading up to have a long awaited shower. He stopped, waiting as she approached,twisting out of the way as several of the smaller kids dodged around him on their way upstairs.

“I got in touch with Alex at the Jacobson farm and he wants me to come by for a discussion later. I'd like it if you'd come with me.”

“Really?” Derek asked, surprised. “Why me?”

“Several reasons, actually,” Talia said with a lift of one brow. “Firstly, you found the trap yesterday and know its exact location. Secondly, since you're home for good, it'll be beneficial for you to become reacquainted with the people in town and around the Preserve. Thirdly, you start with the forest service soon, so this kind of issue in the forest is right up your alley.”

“Oh, well...that makes a lot of sense,” Derek said, nodding. “I'm in.”

“Good, though I have a fourth reason, if you need it.”

“I don't, but go ahead,” Derek said, waving a hand in a magnanimous gesture that had his mother chuckling.

“I'd like to spend some time with my oldest son, after his long absence and awaited return. Sound good?”

“Sounds great. I just wanna grab a shower.”

“No problem, he's not available until after three anyway. Besides, it's a good idea, you stink. Take your time.” Derek laughed at his mother's wrinkled nose and took her advice.

“Ha ha,” he said, turning and dashing up the stairs before anyone else made a crack he'd have to repay them for.

 

***

 

The day slid by quickly, and before Derek knew it, he and Talia we slipping through the back door, a little behind schedule owing to a last minute discussion David had pulled her away for. Well, David had said discussion, but when Talia had returned she had been suspiciously bright eyed and mussed. Derek avidly ignored the state of her cheeks as she patted down her hair, clearing her throat as she followed him outside.

“I know you're about to shake up the state of your love life, Derek,” she said, broaching the subject as they headed into the Preserve at a brisk jog. “But I do hope you'll find someone who will make you as happy as your father has made me.”

“Aww, Mom,” Derek groaned. “Do you have to?”

“Please, you're well beyond the age where you should be embarrassed by the affection of your parents.”

“I'm not embarrassed so much as trying to live in denial. As much as it's possible, considering the hordes of siblings I have,” Derek replied. “Though I am grateful for you and Dad. I'm not going to settle for anything less, as hard as it's going to be to tell Paige that she's not it.”

“Good, I'm glad,” Talia said, swerving and giving Derek a shove with her shoulder. He stumbled a bit, still slower and less steady despite having put on height and muscle over the years since he'd graduated high school. She was still the Alpha, after all, and with that came a power well beyond her stature.

“Now show me how fast you can run, now that you're all grown up.” She didn't give him any warning, taking off like a shot as soon as the words were out. Derek couldn't help but let out a laugh as he took off after her. He'd missed this.

He was flushed and a bit sweaty by the time they slipped over the fence onto the back field of the farm. The Jacobsons had lived in this area for almost as long as the Hales, and had expanded their farm slowly but surely over the years. They provided organic vegetables and meats to many restaurants and families in the area, the Hales included.

Alex Jacobson was the current patriarch of the family, a family almost as big as the Hales themselves, although not nearly as close knit. Human families tended to spread out more, they were less likely to stay in the same house or even the same town, and the Jacobsons were no exception to that rule.

“There you are,” Alex called, hopping off a tractor as Derek and Talia approached.

“Sorry we're late,” Talia replied, taking Alex's hand in a firm shake. “You know how it is, always something to take care of.”

Derek grimaced internally, knowing well that it was hardly Pack business that had delayed them.

“It's a demanding job, no doubt,” Alex commiserated. “The Pack keeping you on your toes?”

“They tend to do that,” said Talia. “Especially now that all my pups are home.”

“And which one is this, Derek, I'd guess?”

“You'd be right, sir,” Derek said, taking Alex's proffered hand in greeting. “It's good to be back.”

“Derek's home to stay now, unlike his brothers, and he'll be starting with the Preserve Ranger Service before long. I thought it would do him good to get into the swing of things.”

“Not a bad idea.” Alex nodded, then turned, waving for them to follow. “Let me show you what I'm dealing with. I would have warned you about all the extra traps, but we've been a bit under the pump lately. We've had to fix up the coop every morning this past week.”

“Every morning?” Talia replied, alarmed. “Even with the extra traps?”

“Every morning,” Alex confirmed, his face grim. “We've had to make sure the chickens are all inside each night, and we've still had at least one missing every morning. Last night we tied up the dogs near the coop, as an extra measure, but we still lost a chicken in the night.”

“The dogs didn't keep them away?” Derek asked, surprised. The Jacobsons kept several dogs, for herding sheep and their small herd of cattle, as well as for pets. They were a loud pack of beasts if Derek recalled, and there was no reason to assume things had changed in his absence.

“The dogs didn't even raise an alarm,” Alex snapped, clearly frustrated. “Sam was up all night keeping watch, and he didn't hear a damn thing.”

“Are you sure it's foxes, then?” Talia asked as they approached the coop, where three dogs were still tethered in strategic locations.

“To be honest, I'm not sure of anything anymore,” Alex said honestly, his heartbeat giving witness to the truth of his words as well as the stress he was currently under. Derek breathed deeply, trying to catch the scent of fox, but he was surprised to find that, although it was there, it was stale. It definitely wasn't a problem with foxes.

“What do you think, Derek,” Talia asked, her head tilted and nostrils flaring the same as Derek's.

“It isn't foxes,” Derek said. “But I can't tell what it is...nothing is standing out...I think I've caught a scent that doesn’t belong, but it's faint. I couldn't tell you what it is. I'm not familiar with it.”

“Agreed,” Talia said. “We'll have to see if it's stronger inside the coop. Alex, have your traps been turning up any foxes?”

“Only two, which is what you'd expect from a stable population,” Alex replied, heading toward the coop proper, Derek and Talia following. “We'd thought there'd be more, given the trouble.”

“It's definitely something else, then,” Talia said.

“The scent is stronger here,” Derek commented as Alex pulled open the door.

“I don't recognize it, though.” Talia looked to Derek, but he shook his head.

“That's the problem with a college education and limited experience,” Derek said, bending down to enter the coop and get a closer look. “All the courses on magical creatures and mundane ones alike won't help you out when you're tracking on scent alone.”

“Indeed. Well, I'm not sure we'll be able to find anything else in here,” Talia said after they had poked around for a few minutes.

“We'll have to track it,” Derek said, closing the latch tightly. “In the meantime, perhaps Claudia could put a ward on the coop and see what turns up.”

“Good idea,” Talia replied, nodding. “I'll give her a call.”

Derek's stomach clenched as his mother pulled out her phone, conferring with Alex as they walked around the coop, and the feeling only escalated when Claudia answered, her voice tinny and distant through the phone. He shook his head to clear it, feeling tingly and adrift, his hands bunching into fists in an attempt to ground himself. The tug was becoming more insistent, and although he'd pushed it to the fringes of his awareness while they were busy, it came back with force.

“Derek?” Talia asked, touching Derek's arm. He jumped, stunned that he had lost so much awareness of what had been occurring in his vicinity. Such lapses had been occurring for months and for the first time Derek connected it with the tugging and the fuzzy head, although the latter had mostly cleared with his arrival in Beacon Hills.

“Fine,” Derek said brusquely, shaking his mother's hand off, but not missing her canny appraisal.

“Claudia is on her way. Why don't we see if we can track the scent?”

Derek nodded, smiling weakly at Alex before following his mother back into the Preserve, throwing himself back into the task at hand. He hoped that Claudia would be able to figure out just what was going on with him. It was getting worse, and despite the tingle of anticipation still rushing through him, he was off balance, and the feeling was horribly unsettling.

 

***

 

Derek was dripping with sweat and mud when he and Talia finally made their way home late that evening. The party was in full swing if the noise from the back of the house was to be believed, but all Derek could feel as they approached was the tug pulling at him, and an increasing sense of inevitability. Whatever was going on, it wasn't going to let him have a night off.

“I'm going to have another shower,” Derek murmured to his mother, who chuckled, her eyes slipping up and down over Derek's mud covered clothes.

“Perhaps you'd better spray off before you go inside,” she replied. Derek huffed, but swerved off the path, moving to approach the house from the side, where there was an outdoor shower set up for just such an occasion.

They had found multiple trails of the mysterious scent as they would their way through the Preserve, but they'd not had any success finding a source. They had stumbled upon the Nemeton, which had surprised Derek so much that he'd lost his balance and slid down into a muddy river bank, an event to which he owed his current filthy state.

The Nemeton was the source of all the magical energy in the Preserve and the area surrounding it, a fact that Derek had known since he was a child, one that had been reiterated by his education. He'd never seen it before though, so it had been somewhat of a shock. The aura of power that had throbbed from the tree was heady, though it had only seemed to intensify the aching tug pulling at him.

Talia had been alarmed, and it hadn't taken Derek long to see why. There were many dried, grey leaves littering the ground around the base of the tree, and several branches had a dry, stretched look, as if they were dying one by one.

It was clear that something was up in the forest. Derek was certain, and Talia agreed, that the sickly Nemeton was no doubt a symptom of a bigger problem. The tree reflected the magical energy of its surroundings.

It looked like Claudia would be as busy as Derek and Talia in the coming days.

Derek sprayed the mud off carefully before stripping down to his briefs, not wanting to drip too much on his way upstairs, choosing to go around to the front of the house and avoid the crowd in the back. He could smell the food, his father having outdone himself as per usual. He could hear the chatter and laughter of the group, his heart warming despite the chill of the water, happy to be home, ever present tug or not.

It was worse as he slipped into the house, and he rubbed a hand across his abs in an attempt to soothe it, though nothing seemed to work. It preoccupied him while he showered and dried off, redressing quickly while he was still damp.

He stopped to collect himself before heading downstairs, shoring up his control with thoughts of his family, of home, shaken to find that his anchor wasn't working as well as it usually did. That was new, it hadn't been something that Derek had dealt with before, his anchor had always been solid and strong but now...it was just one more thing to add to the list of ways he felt wrong. He was achy, shaking, and tingling with sharp expectation.

He briefly considered not going down at all, but even as the thought crossed him mind, the tug pulled harder, and he found himself stepping out of his room, pulling in deep even breaths, and readying himself, for whatever was to come.

 

***

 

When Derek stepped out onto the back deck, he quickly took in the tableau, his father at the grill with several people lined up to help, half empty platters of food spread across the long table, people scattered around the smaller tables, some still eating, some with empty plates. People were laughing, drinking, kids were running around the yard and splashing in a sprinkler off to the side. The air was filled with the cacophony that seemed to be ever present around the pack.

Then he felt that hook in his gut intensify, stronger than it had ever been, hearing a quiet gasp at the same moment. He turned, knowing unerringly who it was. He was proven right, instinct or something else, some heightened kind of awareness leaving no doubt without him even having to look. Everything made sense for the first time.

It was Stiles.

Derek gasped in return, his breath stolen from him as his mouth went dry, hanging open in shocked astonishment. The cacophony faded until nothing existed but Derek and Stiles, a bare four feet apart, closer than they had been in over three years, and yet the distance felt insurmountable.

Stiles had grown up. No longer the boy of eleven Derek had left behind, or the gangly thirteen he'd last glimpsed on short visits home, filled with exuberance and frenetic energy. It seemed as if time and puberty had crafted the awkward, ungainly child Derek had known into a stunning young man, all long limbs and pale skin, topped with a messy thatch of hair and that Derek instinctively knew would feel soft and thick between his fingers.

The tug was pulling stronger than ever and for the first time Derek knew without a doubt where it was pulling him. He took a step closer, dragging in a deep, desperate breath filled with the grassy cedar musk that surrounded Stiles like an aura, fighting for control and staring wide eyed as Stiles stared back, his expression mirroring Derek's down to the wide eyes and slack mouth.

Derek could feel his blood surge as he stared at that mouth, all pink lips and panting breaths, his control almost slipping completely as Stiles' tongue slid out to wet them. He snapped his eyes up to look into Stiles', only to find that the move didn't do anything to help shake him out of his trance. Stiles' whiskey brown eyes were bright, staring into him as if he could see right into Derek's soul. He felt like if anyone could, it would be Stiles.

“Stiles,” he breathed, taking another step closer, his gut a knot of pressure, insistently pulling him toward the boy in front of him, all grown up but not yet a man. It didn't seem to matter that he was on the cusp of adulthood, all that mattered is that he was there.

“Derek,” Stiles replied breathlessly, his eyes still fixed on Derek's face, staring as if drinking him in.

“You...you look,” Derek began, his mind spinning until it felt like words were beyond his capabilities.

“Good, good,” Stiles managed to stammer out, picking up where Derek left off.

“Yeah...I,” Derek began, swallowing the words that were bubbling up unbidden, words that came from somewhere inside him, words he hadn't fathomed until that very moment.

“Yeah,” Stiles said, swallowing. Derek followed the movement with his eyes, watching with rapt fascination as Stiles' throat moved, the long, sleek line of it calling out to him. Derek had a shocking vision of sliding his mouth along it, sucking and biting and leaving enough marks to prove that Stiles was his, so everyone would know, so no one would doubt.

The certainty that Stiles was in fact his was alarming. And incredibly exciting.

“I've missed you,” Derek rasped instead, feeling his claws cutting into his palms, letting the pain keep him from acting on the visions flashing through his brain.

“I missed you,” Stiles repeated, his lips twitching, a soft smile forming as Derek watched, enthralled. “I'd hoped you were coming home. Are...are you, uh, are you staying?”

“I'm never going anywhere else again, Stiles,” Derek said, knowing in his bones that the words were true. He knew what the tug was about now, the unsettled feeling of wrongness he'd been experiencing around Paige, the reason why he'd kept running to the Stilinski house when he'd let his mind go. He knew that his mother was right, that somehow, somewhere along the line, he'd bonded with Stiles.

Where he was going, where he belonged, all of his future was wrapped up in the boy in front of him, the boy who was almost a man, close enough to adulthood that the bond was already forming, pulling them closer even as they stood staring at each other, the pack long forgotten behind them.

“Derek, there you are!” a voice called out, a voice Derek knew well, yet one he desperately didn't want to hear in that moment, the moment that belonged to him and Stiles alone. No one else belonged there with them. Stiles' eyes flicked to a spot behind his shoulder, his pale skin losing all colour as Paige approached. Derek could feel her nearing, shaken and repulsed when her hand slid possessively around his waist.

He couldn't stop from flinching as he took in Stiles' look of panic and desperation, the tug knocking the breath out of his chest as Stiles stumbled backwards, stammering out a goodbye as he turned and fled into the house, Derek feeling the pull to follow, his skin going clammy at the thought of Stiles leaving.

“What was that all about?” Paige asked, leaning into Derek, even as he pulled himself away from her.

“I'm not sure,” Derek said, slipping out of Paige's reach. “I'll check, go finish eating.”

He didn't even register Paige's response, but she didn’t follow him, to his relief. The smell of Stiles' panic was sharp and nauseating as Derek chased it through the house and into the front yard, weaving through a multitude of parked vehicles before finding Stiles not far from his own car. Stiles was no doubt heading for the very trail Derek had followed to the Stilinski house and back several times during the last few days.

“Stiles!” he called, catching up and grasping at Stiles' hand, the aching tug in his gut unravelling with the simple touch, the tingle of anticipation he'd carried throughout the day blooming into his bloodstream as Stiles stopped and turned around, gripping Derek's hand harshly. His beautiful eyes were moist and Derek didn't even try to stop himself from reaching up, cupping Stiles' cheek in his broad palm, feeling the flutter of Stiles' heartbeat beneath his skin.

“No, no,” Stiles gasped, pulling back, but Derek went with him, tethered to Stiles through touch.

“You're going to marry her, you...Cora said, and it bothered me then but I didn't know why until I saw...god Derek, I saw you and I knew it was you...but you're marrying her and I...”

“No,” Derek said, pulling Stiles closer with a firm grip on his hand, the rightness, the belonging settling over him like a blanket. “No, I'm not. I'd already made up my mind to end it, before...before you.”

“You...really?” Stiles asked, his voice small but his eyes big and pleading.

“You feel it too, don't you?” Derek said in way of reply. “It's...a bond, our bond. It's you...us. It's already forming.”

“I can feel it,” Stiles confirmed, moving closer at last and sliding the hand Derek wasn't holding up Derek's side, gripping his shoulder tightly.

“Stiles, it's...” Derek began, but he had no idea what he would have said, all thought of words fleeing from his mind as he leaned in, taking Stiles' mouth in a hot, wet kiss followed by another, and another, until they were wrapped around each other, one of Derek's hands buried in Stiles' thick, soft hair while the other pulled them together, wrapped around Stiles' back. Derek felt like floating, grounded only by the weight of Stiles' arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding on for dear life.

Derek didn't pull back until he needed to breathe, allowing Stiles a few gasps of air before diving in again, swiping his tongue across those perfect pink lips, their mouths opening and tongues sliding, slick and hot and perfect in a way Derek had never experienced before.

He lost track of time, desperate for more of Stiles, of the taste of him, the scent filling his lungs and making him dizzy, Stiles responses to his touch driving him wild with need, wild and fierce and unstoppable.

When he pushed a bit too hard, bumping Stiles up against the vehicle behind him, reality splashed cold over Derek, and he pulled himself away with a start, bracing himself with hands on the window behind Stiles as air slipped between them once more. Stiles slumped heavily against the car door, his hands on Derek's biceps with a white knuckled grip.

“Not here,” Derek whispered harshly, forcing his mouth to form the words, his voice thick with unfulfilled need. The sounds of the pack enjoying the early evening crashed over him anew, and he cast around desperately for a plan, a way to take Stiles away from all of them, to have his mate to himself, just the two of them, no interruptions.

“Stop thinking about it, then,” Stiles said with a groan, leaning forward to press his head against Derek's shoulder, panting wetly. He was sorely testing Derek's control. “I can feel you in my head, I can feel what you want.”

“Do you want it, too?” Derek asked, even as a new awareness slid over him, Stiles' want, the certainty of the bond making Stiles' answer superfluous.

“Please, please, I need you, Derek,” Stiles pleaded. “It's been pulling at me for so long, I need it to stop, I need to give in.”

“Yeah,” Derek breathed, ghosting his lips over Stiles' neck, stretched out so tantalizingly, all for him. “Yeah, me too.”

“So let's go, then.”

“Yeah, we need to...I have a plan,” Derek said, his mind whirring. He pushed himself away from Stiles' pliant body, stepping back and taking a few deep, steadying breaths.

“Help me with this stuff,” he continued, pulling open the door behind Stiles and hitting the unlock button before moving around the back of the vehicle and pulling it open. There wasn't much in the back, but Derek hauled it all out, pleased that Stiles followed his lead, grabbing the last bag and following Derek around the other cars to the same shed where the shower was located.

Derek slipped open the side door of the shed, piling the gear from his car inside, not caring at the moment about organization or neatness. He was on a mission, a pressing mission to get himself and Stiles away from the pack where they would be alone.

He found what he was looking for unerringly, all of his camping gear was right where he'd left it. It was the work of a moment to pull a thick, double sized foam mattress off the shelf, hefting it on his shoulder before heading out, Stiles securing the door and then following him back to Derek's shiny new Expedition.

“We need to lay the seats down,” Derek said, leaning the mattress against the side and opening the back door, Stiles slipping around the car and doing the same on the other side, his strong, lean fingers following Derek's example and laying the middle row of seats flat before moving on to the third row.

“This is yours?” Stiles asked, his brown furrowed. “What happened to the Camaro?”

“You remember the Camaro?” Derek asked, pausing in his task to grin at Stiles.

“Yeah, hot guy in a hot car, are you kidding? Of course I remember the Camaro,” Stiles replied with a cheeky grin. “Why did you trade it in?”

“Well, the Expedition is much more practical for park ranger,” Derek told him. “But either way, I would have got a new car. Had an accident out east, the Camaro was totalled.”

“Rest in peace,” Stiles said reverently, making Derek smile widely. Stiles was just as brilliant as Derek remembered, only now he was all grown up. It was intoxicating.

“This vehicle is much better suited for my purposes, anyway,” Derek told Stiles, moving around to the open rear door and unfastening the foam, sliding it into the wide open space in the back of the SUV.

“Grab that end.” Derek unrolled it as Stiles held the top, pleased to see how well it fit.

“Okay, I'm gonna have to go back in,” Derek said, moving close and tracing his fingers across Stiles' sharp cheekbones and down his neck, pressing their foreheads together. “I was going to do it tomorrow, but I have to break up with Paige now.”

“Oh, right,” Stiles said, swallowing nervously. “Of course.”

“I won't be long, close the doors and be quiet, she'll probably be leaving in a huff soon...this isn't the ideal time or place, but...” he trailed off, choosing to get his point across by taking Stiles' mouth in a torrid kiss.

“Yeah,” Stiles breathed when they pulled apart again. “There's that.”

“Yeah,” Derek agreed, pulling himself back, knowing it was not the time to get lost in Stiles again. That time would come, and very soon. “Hold up, I'll be right back.”

Derek was off in a flash, moving as silently as he could, dashing up the stairs into his room, pulling out a freshly unpacked duffel and repacking it with a warm blanket, a fresh sheet, two sets of sweat pants and a few t-shirts, he knew they'd need them later on. He topped off the bag with a few more essentials before grabbing his pillow and slipping back outside and delivering it to Stiles, only sparing a moment for a quick kiss before moving back inside.

He approached the kitchen cautiously, slipping a small cooler out of the cupboard and efficiently filling it with whatever he could find in the kitchen, a container of fruit, one filled with cheese, and one with some rolled up, sliced deli meat, no doubt to refill the trays as they were devoured. Since he'd missed dinner he didn't feel bad about taking them, besides, there was always more food than necessary, his Dad saw to that. He grabbed a few bottles of water and put them in the cooler, grabbing a small tin of his Dad's famous chocolate chip cookies for good measure. He snuck back out and put the cooler by the door, tucking his keys into his pocket before pulling out his phone and shooting Paige a text.

Derek retreated to the study, well aware that no one would be in the room, also aware that this was not a conversation he wanted overheard.

He didn't have to wait long before hearing Paige's footsteps in the hall, moving toward the door.

“Close it,” he said taking a deep, steadying breath, uncertain how to begin.

“What's up Derek? How's Stiles?” Paige said, moving toward Derek, prompting him to take a few steps back, sliding behind the desk.

“Stiles...Stiles will be fine,” Derek replied, certain that Stiles would be more than fine, very soon. As soon as Derek finished the task ahead of him.

“Good,” Paige said, her brown furrowed, taking in the distance that Derek was keeping between them. “What do you need to talk about?”

“I wasn't going to do this tonight, but things have changed. I'm sorry, Paige,” Derek began, eyes downcast.

“Sorry for what?”

“I can't marry you,” he said quickly, lifting his eyes to meet Paige's shocked stare. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but it's not been right for a long time.”

“What do you mean it's not been right...you asked me to marry you and now this?” She looked shattered and Derek wished that things could have been different. She'd always been a good friend, if nothing else.

“I didn't ask, and you know it,” he replied, focusing on the facts. “I've been shaky and out of sorts for a year now, and it's my fault, completely, but when you suggested we get married, I agreed. I shouldn't have, I know that...I haven’t been thinking straight, but it's no excuse.”

“Haven't been thinking straight?” Paige snapped, her cheeks flushing with anger. “So you agreed to marry me by mistake, is that what you're telling me?”

“Yeah, I...it's all my fault, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have agreed, the timing is just all wrong.”

“If it's the timing that's wrong then we can fix that, Derek,” Paige said, pleading, moving closer only for Derek to take another few steps away.

“No, it's not that...I should have phrased that differently. I can't marry you,” Derek repeated.

“Why not?” Paige shouted, throwing her arms put in frustration.

“I'm not in love with you!” Derek snapped back, feeling restless and agitated and done with this conversation. Stiles was waiting for him, and the tug was back, but now that Derek knew where it was pulling him, it was almost unbearable.

“You...but we've been together for years,” Paige said, her anger slipping away, replaced by hurt and disappointment.

“I know we have, and I do love you, I care about you, but I'm not in love with you. It's been cowardly of me not to end it long before this, but I...my mind was cloudy and all I could focus on was figuring myself out. I will always regret that I hurt you with my inaction.”

He didn't even know where the words were coming from. It was like his mouth was speaking his truths without planning, but he let them come, willing her to accept it so he could get back to Stiles.

“You...I can't believe this, Derek,” Paige said, resignation colouring her words. “I can't believe you would do this to me.”

“I'm sorry,” Derek replied, finally out of words, it seemed.

“Yeah, right,” Paige scoffed, her arms crossed defensively as she glared at Derek across the room.

“I am. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Well it was a shitty job, because you did. God, you're such an asshole, after everything I've been through with you,” she said. “I stayed on the east coast for you, hell, I lived in fucking South Dakota for you, Derek!”

“You didn't have...” he began, but she cut him off.

“I know I didn't have to! I did it because I wanted to be with you, though I don't know why, now. You're right about one thing, you haven't been in this for a long time, have you?”

“No, I...I haven't.”

“Right, whatever,” Paige said, taking a deep breath before meeting Derek's eyes again. “So that's it? It's over?”

“Yes,” Derek said. “I'm not right for you, I couldn't make you happy,” he continued, but Paige cut him off again.

“Don't be trite, Derek,” Paige said, sneering at him. “You say it's over now, but you'll be back once you realize what a stupid mistake you've made.”

“No, I won't,” Derek insisted. “I'm finally thinking clearly again.”

“Well that's just fucking great,” Paige snapped. “I'm leaving. You can explain to your family why you're such a massive fuck up, leave me out of it.”

She turned and stormed out of the study, slamming the door against the wall in her haste, and while he knew he should feel sad, all Derek could feel was relief that it was over. His gut began pulling him once more, so he followed it, staying well behind Paige as she slammed her way out of the house and to her car.

He picked up the cooler, slipping the door open quietly as she backed up and peeled out of the driveway, wincing at the noise, though it soon became clear that no one else had taken notice of it.

Once she was gone, he closed the door quietly and made his way to his car, where Stiles was waiting, his wide eyes turned in the direction Paige had gone.

“How'd it go?” he asked as Derek approached, letting Derek pull him in for a hug.

“As well as you might expect,” Derek told him, pulling back to kiss him softly and breathing in the freshness of his scent, letting it flow over him and soothe his nerves. The tug had dissipated again, proving once more that this was where Derek needed to be. “But it's over now, let's go.”

He pulled back and handed Stiles the cooler, nuzzling his temple before moving around the car, digging his keys out of his pocket. Stiles clambered into the passenger seat and as Derek climbed in he noticed the bed made up in the back, sheet and blanket in place, his pillow topping it all off.

“Always be prepared,” Stiles said with a smirk, and Derek laughed.

“You were never a Boy Scout,” he said, leaning over to place another kiss on Stiles soft lips.

“Still, they're good words to live by,” Stiles said, brushing his fingers over Derek's bearded jaw, breathing deep as if scenting him. Derek paused, all at once wishing he could stay in that moment and just as eagerly wanting to move on, torn, simply wanting to be near Stiles.

He pulled back and started the car, slipping out of his parking space and down the driveway, reminded as he saw Claudia's baby blue Jeep a few cars down, that Stiles was still young, that there were other considerations. Another time, he may have taken Stiles inside to explain it all to their parents, letting the bond form slowly, as it did with most mated pairs, but this...this was too immediate. It had gone too far, been unfulfilled for too long. They had known each other since Stiles was born, and now that they were finally here, there was no time to stop. They needed to complete the bond before Derek lost the thread of his control.

“Don't worry,” Stiles said, seemingly reading his mind. Derek relaxed, aware that sharing thoughts and emotions was a common side effect of a genuine mate bond. “I texted my mom and told her that I had a headache and was walking home. They won't worry about me being gone.”

“Good,” Derek said, smiling brightly as he glanced at the boy beside him. He pushed the car faster, he had a spot in mind, a place where they could be alone for the first time, properly alone, and he couldn't wait to get there.

 

***

 

“Tell me you're not planning on going to the Lookout,” Stiles said in disbelief as Derek guided the car into the Preserve, the dirt path well worn from the tires of many cars over many years. Cars driven by teenagers and the Sheriff's department alike.

“Really? The most well known and frequented spot in town?” Derek shook his head, scoffing. “Give me a little credit, will you?”

“Well, you've been away for a long time, maybe you forgot how often my dad sends someone up here.”

“No amount of time will erase that from my brain,” Derek replied.

“Well, given our current trajectory, you can understand maybe why the thought crossed my mind.” Stiles quirked a brow at Derek, challenging him, and all Derek could do was laugh.

“Don't worry, I know what I'm doing,” Derek said, driving past the turn off for the Lookout, shearing off in another direction altogether. It seemed as if he was facing the wrong way, but Derek knew the trails up here better than anywhere else, he'd been born in this Preserve, and he'd always loved the woods the most.

He followed the road until reaching a spot that satisfied him and turned sharply, not missing the gasp of shock from Stiles as the SUV pushed through the hanging branches hiding the near overgrown road from sight. Unless you knew what you were looking for, it was all but impossible to find.

The end of the path opened onto a large clearing, wide enough to allow Derek a safe parking spot. He turned the SUV around and shut if off, grinning over at Stiles, who was shaking his head in astonishment. Derek swooped in and kissed him deeply before reminding himself yet again, that it wasn't the time to lose himself in Stiles. He pulled back and got out of the car, moving around the back and pulling the cargo door open.

There was a hint of a cooling breeze that wafted through the car, the heat of the day passing as the sky began to darken slowly into twilight. Stiles had followed him out and was standing beside the car, taking in the exquisite view, the forest and the town and the falling sun like a picture, centered as if the tree branches made up the frame of a work of art.

Derek grinned at Stiles' looked of awe, rummaging in a side compartment and pulling out a mosquito net, making quick work of fastening it to the hooks around the inside edge of the doorway. It was one of his favourite features, allowing him an open air shelter that he'd used more than once during the trip home.

He took in their surroundings, the view of the town, the forest, the clean, crisp air an ideal showcase for what was shaping up to be a beautiful sunset, and he felt ready. It may not be most people's idea of a good place for a bonding, but for Derek and Stiles, it was perfect. Even the bed in the back was perfect. Derek had spent many nights there, but Paige had chosen to fly back and had been driving her mother's car since then. She hadn't even been in the Expedition since before they'd left the Maine, and she'd never slept in it. Her scent completely gone now.

“This is amazing!” Stiles exclaimed as Derek approached. “How'd you know this was here?”

“Wolves have a different view of the woods, we go places most people don't,” Derek said, closing the passenger side door before pulling Stiles into his arms. “I think it was a popular spot at one point, but it was forgotten and overgrown even when I was in high school.”

Stiles turned in his arms, wrapping his own around Derek's neck, his long fingers playing with the hair at Derek's nape. A shudder slipped through him at the touch.

“I had such a crush on you when you were in high school,” Stiles admitted, smiling shyly, which was something Derek had never seen from him before. It was intoxicating to be this close, to see parts of Stiles he'd never known. To see Stiles grown up and _his_. It was a revelation.

“Did you?” Derek smiled back, pressing his whole front against Stiles and holding him there, and for now, it was enough. The desperation he had felt when Stiles had fled the house, when they kissed for the first time, had faded to a comforting awareness. It was as if their closeness, their intentions had momentarily soothed the bond. “I admit, I didn't have a crush on you at all.”

“It's a good thing, too!” Stiles said with a laugh. “I was only eleven when you graduated.”

“I know. But I liked you. A lot. I liked having you around. I thought about you all the time, more than your average teenager would think about a kid of a family friend.”

“You never got mad when I followed you around,” Stiles said, his tone changing, the lightheartedness slipping away, his face serious. “You were always happy to have me there.”

“I was,” Derek agreed. “You never annoyed me, though there were a few times I'm sure Laura wanted to skin you alive.” They both laughed at the memory, as Derek remembered well how frustrated Laura would get when Stiles acted like Derek's shadow.

“I guess the bond isn't be such a big surprise, all things considered,” Stiles said, leaning closer, pressing his forehead against Derek's.

“No, it really isn't,” Derek said, breathing deeply, content for the moment just to have Stiles in his arms. “It was only waiting for you to grow up.”

“Am I grown up enough now?”

“I think the bed we made in the back of the Expedition is all the answer you need. We've waited long enough, don't you think?”

“Yeah, we have. Too long,” Stiles said, moving in for a kiss, which Derek gladly returned. Stiles tasted like cinnamon bubble gum and faintly of his Dad's lemony dill dip, but somehow it was perfect.

“It's time,” Derek said, the kiss heating his blood and reminding him of their purpose, the bond pulling at him, needed to be completed. “Have you ever...”

“No,” Stiles interjected, shaking his head. “ I told myself that waiting for you was stupid, you were so much older and gone for so long, but I...I was waiting for you, Derek. It's always been you.”

“Stiles, I'm sorry I didn't,” Derek began, but Stiles cut him off again, pressing his fingers to Derek's lips to still them.

“No, it's okay,” he said, pressing his head against Derek's again, his heartbeat steady with the truth of his words. “You're here now, and we're together. You couldn't have known Derek, it's okay. You're mine now, and I'm yours and that's all I need, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Derek said, accepting Stiles' acceptance, but knowing he'll always carry that regret, that he'd been with people other than his bondmate. He couldn't have known. Not everyone finds a bondmate and Stiles was so much younger than him, there really hadn't been any way that Derek could have predicted their bond. He'd have to find a way to live with his past.

“Come on,” Stiles said, pushing Derek backwards with his body, repeating Derek's words. “It's time.”

They pulled apart, but Derek didn't want to let go, so he stopped and kissed Stiles before giving in and turning, pulling up the netting to allow Stiles to climb into the back. He followed, snapping the netting in place and then leaning down to pull off his shoes, noticing that Stiles was following his lead. Derek tossed both their shoes into the front seat and shuffled up, digging in the bag and pulling out a ziploc bag filled with battery powered tea lights. He pulled it open and began turning each one on and placing them around the car, stopping when he heard Stiles' chuckle.

“What?” he said, finishing up the last few, his cheeks flushing under the scrutiny.

“I dunno, it's getting pretty romantic in here, dude,” Stiles said with a smirk, and Derek's cheek flushed more. “It's not like you need to woo me.”

“Who said anything about wooing?” Derek scoffed, pushing the now empty ziploc into the duffel. “I just want to see you and it'll be dark soon.”

“Your heightened werewolf vision not enough?” Stiles asked, lifting a sceptical brow.

“I can turn them off if you want,” Derek said, reaching out for the closest one, but Stiles stopped him with a hand on his forearm.

“No, don't,” he said, pulling Derek closer, settling beside him. “I want to see you, too.”

“Good.” Derek stilled, looking carefully at the boy beside him, this boy on the cusp on manhood, at his pink lips, pale, mole speckled cheeks, and bright brown eyes. He had taken off his jacket, and Derek was struck by how broad his shoulders had grown, how strong he looked, even in a baggy Captain America t-shirt. He was utterly stunning, and Derek had never been so attracted to someone in his whole life.

He slid a hand up over Stiles' shoulder and around his neck, pulling him close for a kiss. He knew that he would never get tired of this, knew that kissing Stiles would always be a gift. Stiles wasted no time in kissing him back, moving closer so he could slide his hands under Derek's shirt and around his back, twisting sharply so he could straddle Derek's lap. He kept tugging at Derek's shirt as his hands travelled upwards, and Derek complied, lifting his arms to allow Stiles to pull the shirt right off.

Stiles' fingertips brushed over his shoulders, hesitant now that Derek's skin was bared to him. He sat back, his head just brushing the roof, and Derek was so very grateful he'd decided on the Expedition despite Paige's insistence that he buy the smaller Explorer.

“Oh my god, I should have known you'd still be ripped,” Stiles whispered reverently, his hands falling down to rub across Derek's chest and abs.

Derek hummed, deciding that it was time to even the playing field. His hands had been clutching Stiles' hips as he explored but he couldn't resist slipping them under Stiles' shirt, mirroring Stiles' motion and pulling the shirt up and away.

Stiles' skin was even paler than Derek had expected and softer than he would have believed, had his fingertips not given him the proof.

“I'm no werewolf,” Stiles said, his head dipping, self deprecation in his tone.

“No, don't,” Derek said, lifting Stiles' chin with one hand, the other around his waist to pull them close. “You're beautiful, Stiles. You're mine. You're perfect.”

Stiles didn't answer, just leaned in and kissed him wet and filthy, his hips moving, grinding down onto Derek's lap. He was more than half hard by now, firmly on the way to rock solid, the feel of Stiles in his arms, the kiss, their bare skin pressed together, hot and smooth, all of it filling Derek's cock faster than he'd ever experienced.

He could feel Stiles' erection answering his own, pressing hard against his jeans, and there was nothing he wanted more than to touch it, to hold it in his hand. He wanted to taste it, to have it inside him, he wanted it any way and every way.

Derek pushed the thoughts aside and focused on what was happening in the moment, with Stiles half naked and on top of him, no interruptions looming and the whole night ahead of them.

Stiles pulled off with a gasp, dropping his head back to catch his breath, baring the long line of his neck to Derek's hungry mouth. He acted without thought, laying his lips and tongue onto Stiles' salty skin, sucking and biting and knowing that he was leaving hickeys. He didn't care. Everyone would know in the morning when they returned to the house anyway.

“Derek, please,” Stiles begged, his hands clutching at Derek's hair, tugging on the strands hard enough to hurt. Derek was surprised to find he liked it, a vision of Stiles pulling his hair while his cock was buried in Derek's throat dancing in his mind. He moaned, biting harder at the straining tendon at the base of Stiles' throat. That was it, the fantasy he needed right then, the one he could make time for. He wanted Stiles to come at least once before Derek got inside him.

“I need you to touch me,” Stiles said, his grip on Derek's hair strong enough to pull his head back. Derek went, looking in satisfaction at the cluster of swollen, red love bites at the base of Stiles' neck.

“Yeah?” he asked, breathless.

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” he said, leaning in to lick a stripe up Stiles' throat, closing his teeth over his chin, his hands sliding around to undo the button on Stiles' jeans. Stiles gasped, his abs tensing under Derek's fingers. The heat of his erection was tangible thorough his underwear as Derek gripped it tight, pressing and pulling until Stiles was shaking with need.

It only took a second for Stiles to come hot and heavy in his briefs, his release dampening the material. Its scent filled the air in the car, making Derek's head spin with lust and need. He blinked, trying to clear his head as a shimmer filled his vision, seeming to glow in the light of the candles. When he opened his eyes it was gone, as if it had never been.

“Derek, Der...oh, I...” Stiles stammered, his grip on Derek's hair loosening as his hands fell limp onto Derek's shoulders. He slumped forward, all his weight bearing down on Derek as he panted and caught his breath.

“It's okay,” Derek said, I've got you.” He sucked gently on the side of Stiles' neck, rubbing his hands up and down his back, soothing him.

“I've never...Derek,” Stiles panted, still breathless. Derek's erection was forgotten for the moment as he held a boneless Stiles in his arms, feeling like the luckiest man in the world to have him like this. To be his first, to be the only one who would ever get to see him like this.

He leaned up to kiss Stiles' slack lips, rolling him to the side and down onto the bed below, bracing himself over Stiles, never breaking the kiss. Stiles clutched at him again, his hips twitching, pressing against Derek's erection, reminding him of the fantasy he'd envisioned.

“You're beautiful like this,” Derek said as he pulled back, sliding his hand down Stiles' chest to where his jeans lay unbuttoned, Stiles' release darkening the fabric beneath Derek's fingers. He kissed his way down Stiles' chest, sucking his nipples to a peak before continuing on, pulling down Stiles' jeans and underwear as he went, enough so that the sticky tip of Stiles' cock was bared by the time Derek had his tongue on Stiles' quivering abs.

Stiles' cock twitched against Derek's mouth, its owner releasing a groan as his hands tugged at Derek's hair. He grinned up to see Stiles staring down at him, eyes wide, pupils blown, lips slack as Derek deliberately let his tongue dance across the still half hard length.

“Derek,” Stiles breathed. Derek hummed in response, nuzzling into the thatch of hair at the base of Stiles' cock.

“Too soon?” he asked, smiling up at Stiles as innocently as he could manage.

“Maybe a bit,” Stiles told him. “It's your turn.” Derek hummed again. There were other things he could do while he waited for Stiles to get hard again. His own erection throbbed insistently, and considering how desperately hard he was, it occurred to him that he'd be better off coming once before he got Stiles' cock in his mouth.

“Sure,” Derek agreed, but all he did was pull Stiles' jeans down further, lifting his legs high as he tugged the garments off in one smooth motion. He tossed the clothes aside and caught Stiles' legs on the way down, his breathing coming faster as he took in the naked boy beneath him. He pressed his still clothed erection against Stiles' upraised ass, pulling a groan from both of them.

“Derek please, I want to see you,” Stiles said, his long fingers tugging at Derek's fly, even as his legs draped over Derek's arms.

“Go ahead,” Derek rasped, well aware of how his need was reflected in his voice. He needed to come, and it wasn't going to take long once Stiles got his hands on him. Stiles pulled the button loose, tugging the placket open and reaching into Derek's underwear. Derek hissed as Stiles wrapped his hand around his straining erection.

“Yeah, you're gonna come for me, aren't you?” Stiles asked, lips stretched in a cheeky grin. The precome dripping from the tip of Derek's cock was lube enough to ease the way, making his strokes smooth.

“Yeah, for you. Only for you,” Derek said, the orgasm rising from the base of his cock, his muscles clenching. He couldn't decide where to look, Stiles' face, flushed and determined, or his lean fingers stroking Derek with an exquisite rhythm.

“Yeah, that's right, big bad wolf,” Stiles murmured. “Come on, then.” His voice was deep and commanding and Derek couldn't help but obey, hitting the peak as he came all over Stiles' hand, watching with rapt fascination as it flowed over, dripping onto Stiles' cock and stomach.

The shimmer was back, his vision filling with silver sparkles as he leaned in, closing his eyes against the sensation, choosing instead to drape himself over Stiles' body, letting his legs drop down, still bracketed between them.

“Wow,” Stiles said, his fingers running through Derek's hair, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. “That was pretty amazing for a first go.”

“Yeah,” Derek agreed, pushing himself up, bracing on his forearms and nuzzling under Stiles' chin, sucking lazily on the skin above his pulse. Stiles smelled incredible, his natural scent mixing with Derek's, their come combining to fill the car with the essence of them, both of them, together.

“I'm not done with you, you know, that right?” he said into Stiles' throat, breathing him in.

“You'd better not be,” Stiles said, grinning up at Derek, mischief dancing in his eyes. “I was promised a bond, and I'm fairly certain you'll need to fuck me in order to achieve it.”

Derek's cock twitched, his werewolf metabolism making his refractory time all but non existent.

“You could fuck me too, you know,” he said, holding Stiles' heated gaze.

“You...really? You'd let me fuck you?” He was clearly surprised, his heartbeat pounding harder than ever, his cock was filling under Derek's.

“Of course I would,” Derek said, leaning down kiss Stiles again, wondering if he'd ever get enough of those lips, if the taste would ever cease to thrill him. He assumed not, that was what a bondmate was all about, wasn't it? That they were made for each other, that it would never grow stale. “In fact, I'll have to insist on it.”

“Oh,” Stiles said, clearly floored by the idea. Derek wondered who had filed his head with the idea that just because Derek was older and bigger and a wolf, that he wouldn't like to get fucked. It was definitely on his list of things to do with Stiles, but for the moment there was nothing more he wanted than to fill Stiles with his knot and tie them together, literally and figuratively.

“Good, that's...good,” Stiles said, his hips rolling and his fingers tightening in Derek's hair. “We'll definitely do that, but tonight, I really want you to knot me.”

“God,” Derek said, as Stiles' words echoed his thoughts. He had to breath deep several times to control the shift that suddenly wanted to surge to the surface. Hearing those words from Stiles' lips, his own desires mirrored in them, it was incredible. He clung to his anchor, trying to bring himself under control, but as much as he focused on his family and their love and connection to him, he found he couldn’t hold it.

“Oh wow,” Stiles breathed, and Derek knew that this shift had come over him, he felt it rippling through his muscles, the lines of his face reforming, his eyes glowing brightly and his fangs itching to bite down on the fragrant pulse thudding through Stiles' neck.

Derek froze as he felt Stiles run his fingers across his brow, down through the newly sprouted hair on his cheeks as it blended into his beard. It took everything in him not to flinch when Stiles brushed the tips of his fangs with reverent fingers.

Paige had hated the shift. Even when they were in high school and she'd seemed more receptive to the pack, she hadn't liked the thought that Derek could, at any moment, shift into something else, into a beast. It had scared her, and though she'd never come out and said it, Derek had always known. That fear and disdain had only become more pronounced, and Derek wondered now, looking back, how he had been able to stay with her for so long. How could he be with someone who couldn’t accept who he was, all of him, the wolf and the man, equally?

He waited for Stiles to pull back, for his scent to sour with fear and apprehension. Stiles' heart was beating faster than ever, and Derek braced himself, struggling to find his anchor so he could pull it back, to bring his human face forward once more.

“Holy shit, I had no idea,” Stiles said, his fingers resting on Derek's racing pulse. He wondered if Stiles was aware of how much it meant to a wolf to allow someone to touch him there, to hold their hands around his throat.

“You're beautiful,” he said, his eyes travelling across Derek's face, taking it all in.

Derek's eyes widened in surprise, his heart beating frantically. He'd been certain that Stiles would pull back from him, that he wouldn't want to bond like that, which was definitely a problem since Derek was still struggling to get a hold of his anchor.

“No, I...” Derek began, his lips feeling clumsy around his fangs, but Stiles just shushed him, tracing Derek's lips with gentle fingertips.

“Yes, you are,” Stiles insisted. “It's so fucking hot, you have no idea how long I've wanted to see you like this.”

“What?”

“Hmmm, yeah,” Stiles said, dropping his head back and baring his throat to Derek's gaze, to his teeth. His fangs were itching again, and his cock filling so fast his head was spinning, whether from the blood pooling in his groin or Stiles' reaction, he had no idea.

“You're a wolf, Derek,” Stiles continued. “I know you can't do the full shift just yet, but I bet you will. Even the beta shift though, I've wanted to see it so bad. I wanted to see you all fierce and wild and clinging to your anchor for humanity.”

“I could hurt you,” Derek whispered, fear at the thought making his stomach turn.

“No, you couldn't,” Stiles said, running his fingers up Derek's face to trace his browns again, then the tips of his pointed ears. “You never would. You're a wolf, but you're also a man, and you're the best kind of man there is, Derek. You would never hurt anyone.”

Derek was utterly wrecked by the depths of Stiles' faith in him, his steadfast belief in the best of Derek, the best of who he could be. He knew in that moment why he'd been having trouble with the shift. His family wasn't his anchor anymore. They couldn't help him.

His anchor was Stiles.

Stiles was everything to him, in more ways than one. His unflinching faith in the strength of Derek's humanity, the way he embraced everything that Derek was, the man and the wolf and everything in between was enough to anchor Derek to him forever.

Stiles gripped his hair again, tugging Derek closer, his hips shifting up more insistently into Derek's, making his renewed erection known.

“Can we fuck like this?” Stiles said, his mouth wide to gasp in air, breathless at the thought. “When you knot me, will you shift? Will you pin me down, trying not to let the claws dig in to deep, biting me to make me yours with the fangs instead of with human teeth?”

Derek let out a strangled noise, his cock so hard it was aching as he pushed it against Stiles' groin in a shaky rhythm.

“Yeah,” he managed to rasp out. “I can? You'll let me?”

“Oh god, yes, please,” Stiles moaned and Derek leaned in to kiss him frantically, pulling the shift back so he wouldn't cut Stiles with his fangs. It was effortless now, as natural to him as breathing with Stiles' love and faith as his anchor. His mouth slid away from Stiles' lips to suck a path over his jaw and down his neck. He stopped to suck another hickey onto Stiles' collarbone, relishing the shudder when he pressed his teeth around the bruise, biting down just hard enough to leave a faint, red impression of his blunt, human teeth.

Stiles moaned his name, the raspy tone of his voice spurring Derek on. He couldn't wait to hear what Stiles sounded like once Derek's lips were wrapped around his cock. He slipped further down, stopping to suck another hickey to the surface around Stiles' nipple, grinning as Stiles' hips pushed against him frantically, desperate for friction, his hands clutching Derek's shoulders hard enough to bruise.

For the first time in his life Derek wished that the bruises would stay. Never before had he been ungrateful for his accelerated healing, quite the opposite. He'd never wanted to bear the mark of anyone else he'd ever slept with, even Paige, but in that moment he found himself wishing that he could carry Stiles' marks on his skin.

He kept going, licking wet stripes onto Stiles' heaving chest and quivering abs, spending an extra few moments nuzzling the dark path of hair that led unerringly to Stiles' renewed erection. Now that he'd reached his destination, he found himself possessing patience he hadn't thought possible mere moments before. He luxuriated in the rich, heady scent of Stiles, pressing his face into the coarse hairs at the base of Stiles' cock, mouthing at his balls before dipping down even further.

He slid his hands under Stiles' thighs and pushed them up roughly until his ass was in the air, exposed for Derek's gaze. Stiles was breathing audibly, huffing as if he'd been running a marathon, but when Derek pushed him almost in half and leaned in the press his face into Stiles' crack, the huffs turned into whines, Stiles' hands tugging mindlessly as Derek pressed his tongue onto Stiles' pucker.

“You smell amazing,” Derek said when he pulled back, licking a stripe across Stiles' hole and upward, over his balls and the length of his cock before taking the head in his mouth. Salty precome pulsed from the slit, filling Derek's mouth with the taste of sex and Stiles.

“You _feel_ amazing,” Stiles said, the breathy pitch of his voice making Derek grin around his mouthful. He'd never been so invested in how his partner was feeling, he'd never felt so at ease, so secure inside himself. It was exquisitely freeing and he wanted nothing more than to make Stiles a boneless pile of pleasure before they were done.

Derek popped off of Stiles' cock, leaning up to brace over him again, kissing him before he could protest. He pulled back and crawled further up, far enough that he could dig into the duffel and grasp the lube he'd included when he'd been packing. Derek pulled the lube out and slid back down Stiles' body, reveling in the way Stiles' hands roamed oved his skin, grasping whatever part of Derek he could reach. Stiles was eager in a way that reminded Derek of when he was a teenager, although the desire that was thrumming through Derek with Stiles naked and willing under him was like nothing he had experienced before. Derek felt like a teen as well, but he planned on using everything he'd learned to make Stiles' first time the best it could be.

Derek slid down Stiles' body again, wasting no time in taking Stiles' cock in his mouth, sinking down and taking him in until he hit the back of Derek’s throat. He continued, bringing Stiles closer to another peak before pulling back and leaning down to lick at Stiles' hole once more, pulling his legs up again, this time draping them over his shoulders, gaining the access he needed. He pressed the flat of his tongue over Stiles' hole again and again until it was loose enough that he could push the tip in, gripping Stiles' cheeks and spreading them so he could get in deeper.

“Derek, Derek, please,” Stiles begged, his hands gripping the duvet beneath him, knuckles white. Derek pulled back, running his hands up and down the backs of Stiles' thighs, taking in the hard cock and sweaty skin beneath him, Stiles' cheeks and chest flushed, his lips red and wet. Derek couldn't resist leaning in to taste them, folding Stiles in half to reach.

“You ready to fuck me yet?” Stiles asked breathlessly.

“Not nearly,” Derek said, grinding his groin against Stiles' upturned ass, his erection settling effortlessly into the cleft between his cheeks. “I wanna suck you off while I finger you, so you'll be all loose and relaxed when I finally get inside you.” Derek told him, knowing how deep and strained his voice must sound. His cock was aching, but he realised that he was still half clothed, so he pulled back and rolled off of Stiles, shimmying out of his jeans and underwear as soon as his back hit the mattress.

He threw them off to the side and then turned, taking in all of Stiles as they lay side by side, wondering how he got so lucky to have earned Stiles as a bondmate. Being with him was worth every minute of waiting he'd endured to get there, and they'd only just begun. He hadn't known he'd been waiting, but when he looked back over his life, he realised that he had. Nothing had been so real, nothing so important, as being with Stiles in that moment.

Knowing that they had a lifetime ahead of them was humbling and exhilarating all at once.

"Damn, you are so very, very fine," Stiles said, his eyes roaming over Derek, as Derek's eyes roamed over him.

“How the hell did I luck out to get you as a bondmate?” Stiles asked, turning on his side, his erection brushing Derek's, pulling a shudder from him.

“I have no idea,” Derek replied, staring right into Stiles' beautiful eyes, reaching out to brush his fingers over the strong line of Stiles' jaw, fingering the hickeys that he'd left there only moments before. “But it must be fated, because I was just thinking the same thing. I'm so lucky to have found you, Stiles.”

“We always would have found each other,” Stiles said with a grin, tracing across Derek's pecs up to his collarbone with his impossibly long fingers. Derek shuddered again, his erection a pressing concern. “My mom is the pack Emissary and we grew up together.”

Stiles chuckled, shifting closer. Derek let his hand travel down Stiles' arm and side as he continued.

“Well, you grew up and I followed you around like a puppy,” he said, blushing.

“You did,” he agreed. “But you were never unwelcome. My brothers and sisters annoyed this shit out of me, but I was always happy to have you around.”

“It's not such a surprise, when you look at it that way,” Stiles said, his voice gone soft. “And I think we've had this conversation before.”

“No, it's not,” Derek agreed, “and yes, we have. No more conversation. Moving on.” He grinned widely, moving in to kiss Stiles, capturing his lips with all the passion that filled his heart, with all the desire that was thrumming through his veins.

Derek pushed himself up and over, nudging Stiles' legs apart so that he was on top once more. He kept getting distracted, but he was determined to follow through with his plans at last. He shuffled down and lifted Stiles' legs again, putting them back on his shoulders, where they felt like they belonged, the moan from Stiles' lips encouraging him. He opened the lube one handed and squeezed out a generous dollop onto his fingertips, putting the tube aside before tracing through Stiles' cleft. He rubbed his fingers up and down a few times, loving how Stiles' muscles twitched every time a fingertip brushed his hole.

Derek grinned up at him, meeting the eyes staring back into his before slipping a finger in at last, smiling wider when Stiles groaned heavily and dropped his head back onto the bed. Derek pushed and pulled the finger for a moment, blown away by the hot pulsing clench of Stiles' hole.

He ducked his head and took Stiles' cock in again, sliding down the length of it with no hesitation, thrusting his finger in as he went. He set a quick rhythm, his aching cock was ready so he didn't want to draw it out any longer. Getting Stiles off and getting in him was paramount.

Stiles exclaimed louder and louder as Derek went, pushing himself further down on Stiles' cock with every stroke, adding another finger with no warning and shoving them deeper, twisting and pulling at the rim with each withdrawal.

“Derek, fuck, I'm gonna...” Stiles said, but Derek didn't need the warning, pulling back and off Stiles' cock quickly and pressing another finger in, knowing that the burn and stretch would take the edge of Stiles' orgasm, and sure enough, it did. Stiles' cock was rock hard in his fist, twitching, the head an angry red, but he didn't come.

“What the...why did...uhhh, Derek,” Stiles stammered, his hips pushing up helplessly as his muscles relaxed from their strain.

“Patience,” Derek murmured, still stretching Stiles with three fingers, but letting go of his cock to squeeze out some more lube into his crack.

“Noooo,” Stiles groaned, grasping his legs behind the knees and hunching closer with a wild-eyed look, that demanded an orgasm, now.

“Shhh, it'll be okay, baby, I've got you,” Derek said, the endearment passing his lips unbidden, but he found that the didn't mind. Paige had wanted Derek to use pet names with her, but it had seemed too forced, not genuine. With Stiles, he didn't even have to think about it.

He didn't wait for Stiles' response, taking his cock in again, all of it, pushing past his gag reflex and swallowing around it. He lifted and did it again and again, speeding up the thrusting of his fingers to match the pace. It only took a few moments before Stiles was right there again, his scent sharpening, his entire body tensing, reaching for the orgasm it was building to.

Derek pushed his fingers in deep and rubbed upwards, searching for Stiles' prostate, pleased to find it immediately as he swallowed Stiles down once more, holding on, keeping Stiles' cock in his throat as he rubbed and sucked until seconds later, Stiles was trembling with release, his voice hoarse as he cried out his pleasure. Derek's sensitive ears rang from the sound but his cock twitched as Stiles' release pulsed down his throat.

The clench around his fingers was tremendous, and Derek just knew he had to get in there, as soon as he could. Stiles was coming down from the peak already, his muscles going lax, and Derek pulled off, sucking gently on the sensitive head before he let it go, leaning in with closed eyes to rest his cheek on Stiles' sweaty abs, his fingers stilled deep inside of Stiles.

“Oh...god...Derek,” Stiles panted, one hand lifting in an attempt to touch Derek's head, slipping around a few times before finding its target. His fingers clenched in Derek's hair, likely just to keep his hand from slipping off again.

Derek hummed in contentment, his aching cock once again forgotten in the bliss of Stiles' reaction. It was amazing how that kept happening. Derek wondered idly if it was part of the bond, how he kept getting lost in Stiles', his bodies need and reactions put aside in revel in everything that was Stiles.

“Oh my god, Derek, look!” Stiles exclaimed, but Derek just sighed and stayed where he was.

“Seriously, it's like the air is filled with glitter, what the fuck?”

Derek's head shot up at that, eyes opening to take in the sight, and sure enough, it was like the car was filled with a mass of twinkling glitter, gold and silver, floating in the air that surrounded them.

“Holy shit,” Derek breathed, looking up to meet Stiles' astonished eyes. “It's a lot more than last time,” he said.

“What? Last time?” Stiles looked down at Derek like he was crazy, shaking his head in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

“The air filled with sparkles the last time you came, too,” Derek told him. “And again when I did.”

“That's...that's fucking bizarre,” Stiles said, looking around and reaching a hand to touch, making ripples in the cloud. “Is this a side effect of the bond that no one has even told us?”

“I've never heard of anything like this,” Derek told him truthfully. “But it must be. What else?”

“It's incredible,” Stiles said, slipping his hand through it until it dissipated suddenly in a metallic sparkle, slipping into the ether as if it had never existed.

“Wow.” Stiles turned to look at Derek, the blissful expression on his face was so entrancing that Derek wanted to keep it there forever.

“Yeah,” Derek agreed, realising that his fingers were still buried in Stiles' ass. He moved them in and out to bring them back to Stiles' attention. He knew that Stiles' cock would over pretty sensitive for awhile, but his ass was fair game, in Derek's opinion.

“You ready, then?” he said, pulling his fingers out and grasping his cock with the same hand, using the leftover lube to slick himself up before squirting on a bit more, spreading it around. He groaned, the slick feeling around his cock combined with the picture of Stiles below him, his legs still braced against Derek's shoulders, was overwhelming.

“Oh, I...yeah,” Stiles said, his attention torn from the empty space around him back onto Derek, his hands reaching up and pulling at Derek's shoulders, dragging him into a kiss. Derek went willingly, pressing himself onto Stiles' body, bending him in half as he leaned in for the kiss, the taste of Stiles making his cock throb. He braced on his forearms which lifted Stiles' ass upwards, letting Derek's cock slip into the slick crease between Stiles' cheeks.

He pulled back slightly, reaching down to guide his cock into Stiles' loosened hole, feeling the pucker open for him slightly at first, finally giving with the steady pressure. He gasped, gripping the back of Stiles' thigh tightly, dropping his head onto Stiles' chest and taking in a few steadying breaths as Stiles did the same.

“Does it hurt?” Derek asked in a quiet voice, praying desperately that he wasn't hurting Stiles, that he didn't have to pull out. He would do anything Stiles asked of him without hesitation but the thought of pulling out, of losing the intimacy between them, of no longer being inside Stiles, it was enough to make his control slip. He felt his claws pushing through, his fangs dropping.

“No...well yes,” Stiles admitted, but he didn't loosen his grasp on Derek's shoulders. “But don't stop...I...it's...god, Derek.”

“Yeah...yeah,” Derek mumbled, pushing in further, knowing that the angle wasn't the best. He knew that there were easier ways to do this, but he wanted to see Stiles' face, to kiss him. He wanted to be connected.

“Just tell me to stop if you need,” Derek said, pushing in slow and steady, his head already spinning form the tight grasp around his cock.

“Don't stop,” Stiles insisted, although Derek could tell it wasn't painless for him. He knew that he was gripping Stiles' thigh hard enough to bruise, as if he was holding on for dear life, and that wasn't helping Stiles' comfort either. He could help with the pain though, so he closed his eyes as he reached out, drawing Stiles' pain into himself. When he opened them again he could see the back veins under his skin dissipating as Stiles' pain was pulled away.

Stiles gasped, his eyes rolling back into his head as Derek bottomed out, his hips pressing heavily on the rounded cheeks of Stiles' ass. He closed his eyes again, stilling and breathing deep to hold on to his control.

“Derek, please,” Stiles whispered, his hands moving up to tangle in Derek’s hair, trying desperately to thrust his hips though Derek had him completely pinned. Derek opened his eyes, knowing they were a bright, glowing blue as the wolf rose to the surface. He looked down at his bondmate, feeling the magic swirling around them, seeing the air starting to shimmer with it once more.

“It's back,” Stiles whispered, gazing in wonder at the air around them. His eyes were filled with awe when he turned his gaze back to Derek, an awe that Derek knew was mirrored in his own eyes. Being inside Stiles like this with the bond forming between them, their hot skin pressed together and their eyes locked, was beyond anything Derek could have imagined before then. Nothing he'd done, no one he'd been with could ever compared to being with Stiles.

“I can feel the bond,” Derek said, still unmoving.

“Me too,” Stiles agreed, reaching up to trace his fingers along Derek's jaw. “I want more. I'm good, you can move now.”

Derek complied, leaning down to kiss him again, licking into his mouth before dragging his lips down Stiles' throat. He kept his thrusts slow and measured, certain that soon his control would slip and he'd be fucking Stiles in earnest, but he was enthralled with the clutch of Stiles around him and he wanted to savour it.

“More,” Stiles cried out, his head thrown back, bared to Derek's mouth. He sped up, thrusting a bit harder, scraping his teeth over the tendons of Stiles' long, beautiful neck. The urge to bite was rising, but it wasn't time just yet, so he pulled back, leaning up onto his knees, grasping a strong thigh in each hand, holding Stiles down as he began to thrust with abandon.

The magic was still swirling around them in sparkles of gold and silver, and Derek could feel the thread connecting him to Stiles thickening, he could feel how eager Stiles was, how he wanted it as much as Derek did.

He slid his grip around, grasping the tops of Stiles' thighs now, pulling him back with every thrust. He drank in the sounds of pleasure that poured from Stiles, the sight of him beneath. His cock was fully hard again, red and full on his belly. Derek smiled, pleased with Stiles' wanton reactions. He couldn't have planned it better.

He angled his thrusts, hoping to find the knot of nerves that would help push Stiles over the edge, his cock untouched, and it didn't take very long to find. Stiles' moans took on a higher pitch, his legs quivering under Derek's hands, his claws digging in again, but Derek couldn't hold it back any more.

He felt the full beta shift overtake him, his face rearranging and hair sprouting, claws and fangs at full force. He growled and fucked Stiles harder, feeling his knot forming as his cock quickly expanded. He'd never done this before, had never knotted a partner, but then, he'd never shifted during sex either. He'd never been able to put his true self out there, but Stiles...Stiles encouraged it. Stiles wanted it. Wanted him.

“Derek, fuck, yes!” Stiles cried, staring deep into Derek's eyes as the glitter cloud thickened around them and Derek's knot began catching on the rim of Stiles' hole.

“Oh god, that's so hot, fuck...yeah, come on big bad wolf, let's go, give it to me...knot me Derek, fuck...” Stiles babbled, a stream of curse words and encouragement pouring from his lips. Derek growled again, snapping his hips harder and faster, rewarded for his efforts when Stiles came hard, clenching around him tighter than Derek had thought possible. His cock spurted his release onto his belly, untouched as Derek had wanted.

Derek all but collapsed on top of him, still thrusting as he bent Stiles' legs between them, covering him completely. He leaned in took Stiles' skin in his mouth, salivating at the thought of biting him, even more now that it was time.

It was time to bond them, tying them together permanently.

He found the spot, the place where Stiles tasted the best, just below his ear, the muscle thick under Derek's teeth.

He couldn't hold back anymore, biting down against the resistance of Stiles' skin, his knot pushing inside Stiles for the last time as Derek released deep inside him. It all happened so quickly, the knot tying them, the bite breaking the skin, the taste of Stiles' blood on his tongue as his orgasm pulsed through his entire body. He could feel the clutch of Stiles' hands on his back, his voice hissing at the bite but then whispering encouragement.

Derek could feel the magic settle around them like a blanket as the bond settled into place, the thread snapping taut between them, joining their hearts and their destinies forever. He thought he might cry from the power of it, the intimacy, the certainty of Stiles in his arms.

He didn't move as the bliss faded. It didn't leave him, it just became less sharp, less immediate. Eventually he pulled his teeth out of Stiles' skin, flinching a bit at Stiles' hiss of pain. One arm at a time he let go of Stiles' legs, letting them fall to the bed, his knees still bracketing Derek's hips. He held on to Stiles' shoulders from underneath, pulling away the last of Stiles' pain as he licked at the bite mark, tasting the blood that seeped sluggishly from the wound.

Stiles had turned his head and was mouthing at Derek's neck now, sucking and biting at the skin while Derek caught his breath against the curve of Stiles' collarbone, pulling the wolf back. It was easy now. With Stiles as his anchor, with his knot still tied deep, the shift was more fluid than it had ever been.

“Derek, the magic is still there,” Stiles said in a hushed tone. Derek turned his head to see that it was indeed still there, as if they had been enveloped in a golden fog that filled the back of the car.

“I'm not sure it's the bond,” Derek said as he reached up, his hand slipping through it without affecting it at all. “I think it's you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can feel...I've researched bonds a bit, how they feel when they're complete, what to expect...I never thought I'd have one, but I was fascinated.”

“Me too,” Stiles agreed. “Especially after everything started. I didn’t know who I was waiting for, but it seemed that I was waiting for a bond. I hoped it was you but...well, I didn't let myself dwell on it, in case it wasn't.”

“So you know how it should feel, how we should feel the pulse of another person, where the tug was, in your gut.”

“Your center,” Stiles commented.

“Yes, exactly.”

“That's what I feel. I can feel you there, bright and humming. It's incredible.”

“I feel that, too,” Derek said. “But there's more. It's like a fire in my blood. Like, something else is thrumming through me, using me. It's yours though, it's connected to you. It comes from you.”

Stiles stared at him, stunned, eyes wide with confusion. “What is it?”

“I think it's magic,” Derek told him, simply. “I think you're magic.”

He was, Derek was certain. The fire that burned through him didn't hurt, just made him aware of it presence as it flowed from Stiles, through Derek and back, how it felt just like the blanket of magic on his skin. He had never imagined that such a thing was possible, but just like he'd known Stiles was his as soon as he'd laid eyes on him that evening, he knew that Stiles was magic.

“How can I...I've never tested very strongly, my magic was always just borderline, barely enough to register,” Stiles told him, brow furrowed.

“Yes but...can we move?” Derek asked. His knot was still locked inside Stiles, and as good as it felt, the angle was awkward for a discussion.

“Yeah, we...how?”

“Hold on to me,” Derek said, wrapping his arms under Stiles' back and pulling him up until he was seated on Derek's lap, Derek on his knees.

“Oh, fuck,” Stiles moaned and the knot moved inside him, no doubt pushing at his prostate and tugging at his rim.

“Yeah, it...hang on,” Derek said, twisting his body quickly and landing on his ass, his back against the side of the car, with Stiles seated in his lap.

“Oh, that's so goooood,” Stiles groaned, stretching the word out as Derek settled with Stiles seated on him, straddling him, still tied together. He leaned in and kissed Derek eagerly, his arms around Derek's neck. Derek kissed him back, letting his hands roam up and down Stiles' back and over his shoulders, back down to his ass, pulling him closer as Stiles' hips twisted.

When Stiles finally pulled back and gasped for air Derek's mouth was drawn to the bite again, sucking gently at the mark. He felt his cock twitching inside Stiles even as Stiles' cock twitched between them.

“God, you're gonna make me hard again,” Stiles said, leaning down to rest his head on Derek's shoulder.

“Soon,” Derek said, smiling. “I've read some interesting things about new bonds.”

“Heh, me too,” Stiles agreed, sitting up and meeting Derek's eyes again, his fingers idly playing with the hair at Derek's nape. A shudder when through him at the intimacy of the feeling.

“What were we talking about?” Stiles asked a moment later, after they'd smiled stupidly at each other for long enough.

“Your magic,” Derek reminded him.

“Right, my imaginary magic,” Stiles said with a scoff.

“The evidence is all around us,” Derek pointed out, casting his gaze around at the magic still clinging to them.

“How are you so sure it's me?”

“I just am,” Derek insisted. “I can feel it, I'm as certain of this as I was when I saw you tonight.”

“Oh,” Stiles said, his face thoughtful. “How is that possible...oh.” He looked up at Derek like a light bulb had gone off, his eyes wide. Derek was amazed at how expressive his face was, how his thoughts and feelings were spread across it.

“Oh?”

“A Spark,” he breathed, and Derek knew he was right.

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “I remember. Sparks are rare, and it's almost impossible to detect before the bond.”

“And a Spark will always mate with a wolf. They need it, the wolf's connection to the earth, they need it to ground their magic.”

“That's what it is,” Derek said, excited. “That's what I feel. Your magic, it's flowing through me, in and out.”

“Wow,” Stiles breathed, closing his eyes. Derek could feel him reaching out to the magic, becoming aware of it as he did. “I can feel it now, like it was just beyond the tips of my fingers but now I can grasp it.”

“Can you pull it in?” Derek asked. “The...whatever this is.” He waved a hand through the fog again, gasping as Stiles did just that, the magic dissipating. Derek could feel it as Stiles took it in, could feel as he manipulated it.

He opened his eyes and Derek saw that they were glowing gold. But not like beta gold, it was more pure, even brighter.

“That was incredible!” Stiles said with a laugh, wrapping his arms around Derek's neck. Derek laughed with him. It had felt amazing, and he had only been feeling it second hand. He couldn't imagine what Stiles had felt.

“I told you it was you!” Derek said, beaming at him. He felt proud, elated, so many things that he couldn’t put words to. He pulled Stiles closer, burying his face in Stiles' neck, breathing in his happiness, the connection still humming through them both.

“Yeah, you were right,” Stiles said when Derek pulled back, nuzzling his nose against Derek's. “I can totally feel it now, it's like I just turned it on.”

“You turned something on.” Derek couldn't help but roll his hips up against Stiles, the thrum of magic through the bond filling him up, even as his knot subsided.

“You are hilarious,” Stiles chuckled, shaking his head at Derek but still leaning in for a kiss. They made out for a long while, Derek had no concept of just how long, but the knot had softened considerably, even as his cock filled once more. He thought it might become a problem, losing all sense of time when he lost himself in Stiles.

“You're ready to go again, aren't you?” Stiles asked, his hips rolling down onto Derek's.

“Maybe...yeah, yeah, I am,” he replied, pushing up as Stiles pushed down.

“Then maybe you should fuck me again,” Stiles said, lifting himself up, making Derek groan. He grabbed Stiles by the hips and encouraged him, lifting him up and down on his cock, throwing his head back as he hardened fully. Stiles' head dropped onto his shoulder, his hips doing all the work as the roof of the car didn't allow them a full range of motion.

“Maybe...I will,” Derek growled back, the bond feeding his arousal, ensuring he could feel Stiles' excitement as well as his own.

“Good, you...” Stiles began, but Derek dragged him into another kiss, licking into his mouth as he fucked up in to his body. Stiles was hardening again between them, the hot drag of his stiffening cock pushing Derek's arousal even higher.

If he thought the pre-bond sex was amazing, this was even better. They were so wrapped up in each other, the push and pull of sensation so intense that Derek already felt himself on the edge of coming. It had been mere moments since he'd been all but soft inside Stiles and now he was chasing the thrill of yet another orgasm. Unlike before, this time he felt Stiles racing right alongside him through the bond.

All words were forgotten as they moved together, Stiles' erection slapping against Derek's stomach as he rode Derek's lap. Derek reached out and took his cock in his hand, not even having to stroke, the motion of Stiles' body doing all the stroking for him.

He could feel Stiles' body clenching around him, over him, in his mind, in his blood, so he thrust harder, letting go of Stiles' mouth to suck on the wound on his neck, coming with a grunt as Stiles' release painted his abs.

The feeling that washed over him was overwhelming, his pleasure mixing with Stiles' until he felt like he was floating, the gold cloud surrounding them again as they panted against each other.

“I did it again,” Stiles gasped, taking in a deep breath before sitting up and closing his eyes, pulling the magic inside himself almost immediately, and once again, Derek felt the thrum of it through his blood.

They clung to each other in the aftermath, their racing hearts slowing as they caught their breath, both undone by the intensity of the sensations. Derek licked at the bite wound again, wishing he could heal it faster, not wanting to cause Stiles any more pain, but it didn't seem to be bothering Stiles much, so he pushed the thought aside.

“My legs are starting to cramp,” Stiles said suddenly, lifting himself up and off Derek's cock tenderly. Derek helped him along, guiding him onto his back on the bed, letting his legs stretch and flex until Stiles stilled, satisfied.

Derek kissed him softly before levering himself up, pulling a packet of wet wipes out of the duffel before shifting down again, and pulling one out. He wiped Stiles' abs before moving downwards to his hole, swiping tenderly at the reddened, gaping pucker. He couldn't help but be turned on by the sight, knowing that he'd done that to Stiles, though his cock lay quiet, proving there was a limit to even a werewolf's refractory period.

He wiped himself quickly tucking the used wipes into a pocket on the duffel, making a mental note to dispose of them later on.

“So tired,” Stiles said, pulling on Derek's arm to bring him closer. Derek didn't resist, grabbing the blanket he'd laid aside over them as he went, covering them both. It only took a minute to shift and get comfortable, Derek's arm under Stiles while he propped himself on Derek's chest, using it as a pillow and wrapping his arm around Derek's waist. Their legs tangled and Stiles slid one between Derek's, finally settling in to sleep, eyes already closed.

“Mmm, love you, wolf man,” Stiles murmured as his heartbeat slowed, falling into sleep.

“Love you too, magic boy,” Derek whispered as a deep contentment filled him, the exhaustion of his muscles mitigated by the comfort of his mate beside him. He let go, and followed Stiles into slumber.

 

***

 

Derek woke slowly, feeling settled in a way than he'd ever felt before. The sun was rising, sending out its warming rays, chasing away the night time chill. Derek could feel the light dappling across his face, there was a gentle breeze from the open back of the vehicle, and Stiles was heavy and sleep warm in his arms, snuffling as he shifted. The skin of his belly was silky under Derek's hands, the hair of his nape tickling Derek's nose as he burrowed it into the back of Stiles' neck. His scent was intoxicating, wrapping itself around Derek, seeping into his pores. He could tell his was seeping into Stiles as well, and it filled a space in his chest he hadn't known was empty.

He rubbed his hand across Stiles' abs, tugging at the hairs on his navel, mouthing at his neck lazily. He could feel Stiles waking, his heartbeat quickening and his breathing changing as sleep left him. Derek reached further down, discovering that another part of him was waking as well. Derek was fully hard now, his morning erection stiffening further as it pressed into Stiles' ass.

“D'rek,” Stiles mumbled, stretching back and pressing his ass harder into Derek's cock, twisting his head to look back at Derek as best he could. “You gonna fuck me?”

“Mmmm, I was thinking about it,” Derek said, sucking a hickey onto the base of Stiles' neck, adding to the others that already marked his pale skin. “Grab the lube.”

Stiles yawned widely, pushing himself forward on heavy limbs until he could reach the tube that had been tossed aside the night before, grabbing it and passing it back to Derek. His movements were slow and awkward, Derek could tell he was still half asleep, but his cock was eager under Derek's hand.

Derek let him go and pulled the blanket off them, flipping open the lube and dripping some onto his fingers before slipping them between Stiles' cheeks and feeling his hole. It was loose, Stiles was still relaxed from sleep and from the stretching he'd received from Derek's knot the night before. Derek pushed some lube into him, slicking up the rim quickly.

One day he would take his time with Stiles, opening him up slowly, unravelling his control until he was writhing and mindless under Derek's hand and mouth, but right now he didn't have the patience. It was still too new, the bond was still so fresh, and all Derek could think about was being inside him again, being tied to Stiles once more.

He slicked his cock with the lube left on his hand, wasting no time getting himself lined up and pushing in. Stiles' moan was deep and long as Derek pushed himself all the way inside with one smooth stroke. It seemed as if the breath was stolen from his lungs when he was seated inside, feeling sensation in the flesh and through the bond simultaneously was incredible, ramping the pleasure higher and higher, beyond anything he'd even known before.

“The bond is...I can feel everything,” Stiles said, pushing back into Derek with his whole body.

“I know. I can feel you, too,” Derek replied, pushing himself in and out slowly, letting the speed build in increments, until Stiles was moaning and grasping at his thighs, trying to pull Derek closer.

“Need more,” Stiles moaned, pushing back even harder. The angle wasn't right, so Derek pushed up, rolling Stiles onto his front, spreading himself on top. They both gasped as Derek sank even deeper into Stiles' receptive body.

“Yes, that's...better, yeah,” Stiles mumbled, his face pressed into the pillow.

“Yeah,” Derek said, lifting himself up, pushing Stiles' legs open with his own so he could press in between them. He was able to sink even deeper from the new angle, and slowed his thrusts to savour it. He kneeled back to look, spreading Stiles' cheeks to see how his pink hole was stretched around Derek's thick cock.

“God, look at you,” he breathed, entranced, watching avidly as the rim clutched him on the way out and then welcomed him back inside. “Look how you're taking me, baby. You look like you were born to have me inside you.”

“Yeah...” Stiles moaned in agreement, pushing back onto Derek the best he could from his slumped position, though Derek's hands were on his ass, holding him in place. “I was, Derek. I...” he trailed off when Derek increased the pace, fucking him harder as well as faster.

“Yeah, you were born for this,” Derek said. “Born for me.” He slid his hands up and gripped Stiles' hips, pulling him back roughly with every thrust. Stiles met him eagerly, a string of babble and nonsense words spilling from him as Derek fucked him senseless.

“Not gonna last,” Derek said, pressing one hand down on Stiles' lower back as the other still held Stiles by the hip, holding on for dear life as his rhythm began to falter.

Stiles' words became sub-verbal, grunts and moans bubbling out of him as his ass gripped Derek even tighter. Derek could feel Stiles' orgasm as it poured through Stiles' body as well as his own. It centered on the hot squeeze around his cock, and when he came in the next moment, it fed back through both of them again. As Derek followed Stiles over the edge, his knot swelled up suddenly and held him deep inside. The scorching heat of Stiles around him along with the double whammy of emotional bliss and physical sensation through the bond pulled it from him unbidden.

He hadn't been sure it would happen, knotting Stiles again so soon, but it didn't seem to be something he had any control over. Perhaps he would learn how to call it at will and hold it back when necessary, but only time would prove that. One thing was certain, he would have plenty of practice in the future, and he would love every minute of it.

He couldn't help but grind against Stiles even as they stilled, panting heavily. He never wanted to stop, he wanted to keep pushing further and further, until he was burrowed inside completely. In a way, it had already been done. The bond joined them together so completely that they couldn't always tell who was feeling what.

“Oh my god, that was great,” Stiles said, his voice muffled slightly from where it was pressed into the pillow. “It's still pretty great,” he amended, squeezing himself around Derek’s knot, making Derek's claws pop out.

“God, Stiles,” Derek bit out, holding him still with both hands. “You're going to kill me with that ass.”

“What a way to go,” Stiles said with a laugh, lowering himself onto the bed until he was lying flat, taking Derek with him. Derek let himself collapse on top of Stiles, pressing the knot deeper and biting Stiles' neck just hard enough to mark him, to pin him, holding him as their breathing slowed.

They laid together in the peace of the early morning for a long while, tied together in body and mind, until Derek felt the strain of Stiles' breathing in his chest, able to hear it as well.

He pulled the wolf back and slid his arms underneath Stiles' chest and belly, rolling him smoothly to the side, trying to keep his knot from tugging too hard at Stiles' red, sore rim.

“I'm thinking I should buy some stock in coffee, or like, coffee companies or something. Starbucks. Coffee...roasters. Coffee bean producers. Something. Whaddaya think?” Stiles said thoughtfully, pulling Derek's arms around him into a tighter embrace.

“Why's that?” Derek asked, getting reacquainted with the crazy way Stiles' brain worked. Apparently not much had changed as he'd grown.

“Well, if you're gonna be fucking me stupid into the night and then waking me at the crack of dawn for another go, I'll need a lot of caffeine to get me through until graduation. Can't be falling asleep in those senior classes, I hear they're tough.”

Derek chuckled, kissing the back of his neck and giving him a squeeze.

“Well, I don't have to wake you up, if it's such a concern,” he joked, noticing immediately how Stiles stilled in his arms.

“Is that really...would you do that?” Stiles asked, his voice breathy, his ass tightening reflexively.

“I...yeah, if you want.”

“So like...I'm totally out of it. I'm sound asleep and you come home all hot and horny, and you don't wanna wake me, because the constant fucking has me just that exhausted.”

Derek interrupted with a snort, but Stiles ignored him and continued.

“So you don't wanna wake me, but you have to fuck me or die, so you'll just like, pull down my pants, if I'm wearing any, that is...I might just leave them off and give you easier access, who knows how many times you're gonna rip them off me and...where was I? Yeah right, so you pull them down and just like...have your way with me?”

Derek's head was spinning from the visual that Stiles was painting in his head, and his body was trying desperately to respond. “I'll put some lube on first, maybe,” Derek replied. “But yes, if you want.”

“So maybe I'll wake up with you already in me, riding me hard and fast, filling me with your knot before I'm even half awake...” Stiles trailed off, his arousal feeding Derek's, turning tangible in the air. “Oh my god, that's hot.”

“You would let me?” Derek asked, stunned at Stiles' enthusiasm. He had thought they were joking at first, but it was becoming clear that Stiles was open to the idea. He had to admit, the idea was interesting. Having Stiles all sleep warm and pliant beneath him, limbs slack with sleep as Derek opened him up and pushed in. Watching as Stiles woke up slowly, realisation of what was happening coming over him bit by bit. Derek could feel his arousal matching Stiles' as the thoughts filled his head.

“Hell yeah,” Stiles said, nodding. “Full consent given, wolf man. Feel free to use my unconscious body for your own, sexy, devious ends.”

“Holy fuck, Stiles,” Derek said, gasping, his head bright with the vision of just what that would look like.

“Yeah, that's pretty much the idea,” Stiles told him, grinning up over his shoulder as he flexed his cheeks, chuckling when Derek gasped again. “But for now, sleep! Later you can buy me a coffee and maybe some shares in the company and we'll make a plan to make some coin, since we'll be investing so heavily in the stuff.”

“Deal,” Derek agreed, letting go of his arousal and embracing the exhaustion in his limbs, letting the moment wash over him.

The peaceful morning and the boy in his arms soothed him, mind, body and spirit, and he fell asleep to the sound of chirping birds and Stiles' deep, steady breaths.

 

***

 

Derek blinked, barely awake in the bright light of full morning, feeling just this side of too warm. He felt sated and complete, the bond thrumming like a live wire between him and Stiles, filling him with such a sense of belonging, he just wanted to live in that moment forever.

He came fully awake with a start at the slamming of a car door. For the barest of moments he thought that it must be Stiles just needing to stretch his legs, but the thought disappeared instantly when Stiles shot awake in his arms, both of them sitting up, confused.

Derek listened closely, picking up another heartbeat just as there was a loud knocking on the window beside them.

“Stiles, get your ass out here, now!” yelled the voice, a voice that Derek knew well, but Stiles knew infinitely better.

“Shit!” Stiles exclaimed, his already pale skin losing all colour. “Uhhh, yeah, Dad...just give me a minute, would you?”

“It better be a damn fast minute, let me tell you. And I want whoever you've got in there out as well. Fast!”

The Sheriff did not sound like he was in a mood to be humoured. Stiles began rummaging around for his clothes, as Derek realised just how close the Sheriff was and how grateful he was that he paid extra for tinted windows in the back. He'd only agreed because his job often required him to transport pricey equipment and the dark windows were supposed to deter theft. Right now it was worth every penny he'd spent.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Stiles hissed at Derek, tugging his jeans over his feet before laying down and pulling them under his ass, his hips thrusting up, cock disappearing beneath the denim, and Derek swore that if they had been in any other situation, it would have been one of the hottest things he'd ever seen.

“I have no idea,” Derek answered honestly, thoughts of how the Sheriff could possibly have found them racing through his head. He reached up and grabbed the duffel, finding a spare shirt and handing it to Stiles before pulling out clothes for himself.

“Fuck my shoes,” Stiles was muttering, tugging at the snaps holding the mosquito net in place, stopping only when he'd opened a gap wide enough to climb through, turning to Derek and leaning in, kissing him hard and fast before slipping out.

“Heeeey, Dad,” Stiles said, in what he no doubt hoped was his most charming voice. “Beautiful morning we're having, isn't it?”

“Don't you start with me, young man,” John Stilinski said, his voice hard. “Just what exactly are you doing out here...parking? All damn night? And with who? Last I'd heard you were painfully single and complaining about it constantly.”

“About that...it was rather unexpected turn of events, really, but when you know, well,” Stiles trailed off, uncertainly in his voice. Derek finished dressing and slid out of the car to join him in facing the music.

“Good morning, John,” Derek said with a nod of the head, purposely using his first name to assert himself to the Sheriff, realising too late that asserting his adulthood upon having been found in a state of undress with the Sheriff's still underage son may not have been his wisest move.

“Derek! What the f...what exactly is...god dammit, if you laid a hand on my son, I'll,” John was in full rage now, but Stiles interrupted him, stepping between Derek and his father, holding up a hand to keep him back.

“Dad, stop!” he yelled, taking a step back into Derek as John advanced on them, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. John didn't seem to register the significance. Stiles didn't either, but Derek did. Stiles' magic was instinctual, he probably wasn’t even aware he was using it, but Derek could feel it in his blood. “Derek hasn't done anything wrong, and if you would just stop to listen, I can explain.”

“Oh, you'll be explaining all right, Stiles! Explaining to me how you went from walking home because of a headache to being missing from your bed, apparently all night, to being found naked in the back of a car with Derek Hale, of all people, who, I might add is very much an adult, which you are not!”

Derek's head spun with the speed at which John's words tumbled out, any doubt as to where Stiles had got that particular proclivity from was gone in an instant.

“Dad, you'll have to let me talk if you want me to...” Stiles began, but John cut him off again.

“I want to hear what he has to say!” John said, pointing at Derek, taking another step toward them. “What the hell do you think you're doing in a parked car all night with an underage boy, for fuck's sake! From the state of both of you it's pretty damn clear exactly what has gone on here, don't try to tell me that Derek hasn't put a hand on you Stiles. You're covered in hickies, for...lord, have mercy on me, I swear, Stiles.”

John was unstoppable, a force of nature, not unlike his son. Derek had never seen him in anything like this state. John Stilinski was always eerily calm, steady, and quiet until it became necessary to be other wise, and until that moment, Derek had not had a clue that this side of him existed.

“If I'm not mistaken, you are very much engaged, to a very nice young woman who I'm sure has no idea just what you've been getting up to here,” John was no doubt intending to continue his diatribe, but Derek had to speak up, had to derail him somehow.

“That's over now,” Derek said sternly, getting John's attention by stepping around Stiles. “I ended things with Paige before any of this happened.” He decided to ignore the kiss he and Stiles had shared before he'd broken up with Paige, it was a moot fact anyway.

“I'm glad to hear it. No one deserves that kind of treatment, but that doesn’t clear up much else,” John said, just a tiny bit calmer. “Stiles is seventeen, and if I recall correctly you're what, Derek...twenty three?”

Derek cleared his throat, wishing he could confirm the estimate. “Uhh, twenty four, actually,” he admitted.

“Way to make it worse,” Stiles muttered from behind him, and Derek couldn’t resist nudging him with his elbow.

“Twenty four. Well that's just bloody peachy, isn't it? I don't even know where to start with this. I'm at a loss, I just can't. Jesus Stiles, you never do anything easy, do you?”

“Easy is boring,” Stiles said, slipping under Derek's arm and looking his father right in the eye. “And we'll explain everything, but you need to listen. And it might be best to do this with everyone, I'd rather not have to say it all more than once.”

“Fine,” John conceded. “I'll call your mother and get her to the Hale house, where we'll go over everything, and you two can tell me just what in the hell you were thinking. And it had better be damn good, because right now I'm needing to be convinced that I shouldn’t be pulling out the wolfsbane cuffs and taking you right to the station,” John said, his eyes locked on Derek.

“Great, perfect, we can do all that at the house,” Stiles said, clapping his hands together, smiling in his most disarming manner. “We'll meet you there.” He turned toward the Expedition, but John was having none of that.

“Oh, no you don't,” John said, reaching out and grabbing Stiles by the arm, tugging him away from Derek. That was all it took to have Derek's instincts kicking into high gear. He growled, his eyes glowing bright, fangs dropping as he stepped in, pulling John's hand off of Stiles and putting himself between them.

“No,” Derek growled through the fangs, glaring at John, stunned at how fast he'd moved. He hadn’t even thought about it, the fact that John was Stiles' father had meant nothing to him in that moment. All he'd known was that someone wanted to take his mate away from him, mere hours after their bonding, and he was not going to allow it, even if it meant getting in more trouble than he was already in.

“What the fuck, Derek,” John yelled, his face expressing his shock. “You're seriously pushing my patience here!”

“Dad, it's...we've bonded, okay,” Stiles said, moving to Derek's side and gripping the back of his neck in an effort to calm him.

“What,” John said, his body stilling, his voice hard and flat.

“That's why it happened so fast, okay, it wasn't something we'd planned, but it's done and I...Dad, I can't regret it, I never will. It's Derek for me, okay, and me for him. Nothing will change that now, nothing could have even before.”

John's face was clearly as expressive as Stiles', when he wasn't working to restrain it. Derek was stunned at the resemblance between father and son. Stiles favoured Claudia in looks certainly, but his mannerisms were all John, something that Derek hadn't realised until then.

“We'll discuss it back at the house,” Derek said. “And Stiles will come with me.” He was not willing to give on this point. He had nothing to fear for Stiles' safety with John, but given his reaction, there was a very justifiable fear that he would do everything in his power to keep them apart, and that was not something that Derek could bear.

Stiles was his now, willingly, and Derek would not give him up. Not even for his father.

“Come on,” Derek said to Stiles, directing him back to the car, John watching with wary eyes, clearly restraining himself. Derek pulled the netting off completely, folding it quickly and replacing it in its compartment while Stiles found his shoes and slid them on. Derek found his as well, putting them on and then stepping back to close the door.

He leaned in and gave Stiles a kiss, rubbing an hand over his neck in a comforting gesture before pulling back and pushing him to the passenger side, heading for the driver's door. He nodded at John as he passed by, not looking forward to the discussion that was coming. All he wanted to do was take Stiles up to his room, maybe join him in the shower before making love to him again in Derek's bed, really getting his scent to seep into Stiles' skin before wrapping him up and sleeping the day away.

Before he could do that, though, he had to run the gauntlet, which consisted of his parents and the Stilinskis. He was not looking forward to it.

 

***

 

The car ride back home was tense, to say the least, especially with the Sheriff's cruiser ever present in the rearview mirror. Derek could feel Stiles' apprehension through the bond, and he was certain that Stiles could feel his as well. He wasn't worried about his relationship with Stiles, but that was pretty much the only thing he wasn't worried about. He was worried about how badly John had already reacted and was going to react when he heard the whole story. He was worried about what his parents would think, not only about how fast everything had happened between him and Stiles, but about his choice to leave the house with him immediately, instead of talking it through.

His family was really big on the talking it through. Derek preferred action to words.

“So uh,” Stiles began, his nervousness bleeding through the bond.”Is your family going to like, hate me?”

“For what? For making me happy?”

“For breaking up you and Paige.”

“Shit, no Stiles,” Derek said. “I had been planning on breaking up with her even before I saw you again, and even if I hadn't, it doesn't matter. Our bond is more important than any of that nonsense. And what you said to your dad? That was true. You're it for me, forever, and you always have been. Nothing can change that.”

“Okay,” Stiles said, still hesitant.

“I'm sure we'll have to talk it all over a dozen times, my family is pretty much known for their ability to talk a subject to death, but they'll all be happy for me. For us,” he said firmly, glancing over to see the tension seeping out of Stiles' face. “Once they get over the shock.”

“I think mine will too, but...it might just take a little longer, you know? Cause I'm younger and my Dad...well, he's got a thing about adults and underage teens, though he's never really talked about why.”

Ice sliced through Derek's chest, when he put the pieces of that sentence together. John had been there when Derek had been barely sixteen, when he'd been upset over Paige leaving and vulnerable. When he'd made the worst decision of his life and it had almost cost his family their lives.

John had known what Kate did to Derek, and how much he'd struggled in the aftermath.

“Shit,” Derek said to himself, but Stiles heard him.

“What?”

“I know why your dad is so sensitive about that.” Derek stared straight ahead, wondering if this was a conversation they should have while he was driving.

“You do? Why?” Stiles turned in his seat to face Derek, eager to hear the story.

“I...it's not a good story, Stiles. And I want to tell you, I'm just not sure if now is the time.”

“Why not, sum it up...oh wait, is it,” he trailed off, watching Derek carefully, and no doubt reading his mood through the bond. “It's about you, isn't it?”

Derek nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. He'd gotten over the guilt and the self hatred he'd felt after it was all dealt with, he'd gone to therapy every week for the rest of high school, and he'd thought he was over it. He was over it. But there would always be a twinge of guilt and pain when he thought about it.

“Okay, that's...if you don't want to,” Stiles stammered, but Derek cut him off.

“No, I...you need to know and I'd rather just rip the band aid off, if you don't mind.”

“Okay,” Stiles agreed, reaching out and taking one of Derek's white knuckled hands from the steering wheel, lacing their fingers together. The touch had the desired effect, calming Derek down and keeping him in the present, the bond anchoring him to Stiles and not the past.

“So...I was pretty upset when Paige and her family moved away,” he began. “I think it was a big part of why I agreed to go out with her when we met again in college, I wanted to recreate some of that first love magic, you know? I thought maybe that it was meant to be, meeting her again. I realised pretty quick that it wasn't going to happen like that, but then my head was all messed up from the bond, and I...well, I should never have agreed to marry her.”

“Right, okay,” Stiles said. “Makes sense so far.”

“Yeah, so...she left just after I turned fifteen, which is before bond age even, never mind the mundane laws for consent. Anyway, there was a new substitute teacher who...took a liking to me.”

“Fuck me. A teacher?”

“Yeah, though I'm not sure how she got the job, it's not like she had the education but...well, she was pretty good at getting around legality.” Derek swallowed, memories of Kate making him feel sick to his stomach. Stiles squeezed his hand and it faded a bit, so he continued.

“Her name was Kate. Ms Davis officially, but that wasn't her last name at all. She lied about that and pretty much everything else.”

He took a deep breath and decided to just dive right in.

“She started asking me to stay after class, so that I could get extra help. My head was a bit out of it, and I wasn't doing as well in school as I normally did. So I agreed. And she...well the long and the short of it was, she seduced me.”

“No fucking way, that bitch!” Stiles said, his anger a dark pulse in Derek's bloodstream.

“Yeah, I mean...I was easy to seduce. I had been missing Paige and she distracted me from that. She was gorgeous and sexy and dangerous, and I was totally into it. And the whole forbidden thing hooked me too, sneaking around and keeping it secret. It appealed. We don't have a lot of secrets in a pack, so it was nice.”

“I assume it didn't end well,” Stiles said, bringing Derek's hand up to kiss it, grounding Derek again.

“It could have ended a lot worse,” Derek told him, taking in another deep breath, letting it flow through him. The air was filled with the scent of Stiles and sex and the two of them together, and it was just what Derek needed.

“She was a hunter,” he said simply, noting Stiles' gasp but continuing on. “As you know, most hunters only worry about actual threats, but there are some who feel that all supernatural creatures should be eradicated, even werewolves who have never harmed any one. They have no mercy. Men, women, children, even human members of a pack are fair game.

“Mom began to suspect something, I wasn't really careful about cleaning Kate's scent off me after we...well, there's only so much you can do when you fuck someone in their car, the scent tends to stick.”

“She actually had sex with you? Derek, that's...that's...” Stiles trailed off and Derek could feel his distress. “She raped you,” he finished, using the word Derek tried to avoid at all costs.

“I know,” Derek said. “I know that now. I was underage, even for bondmates, which clearly we weren't,” Derek said with a tight throat and clenched jaw, the idea of bonding with Kate making him nauseous. “Even if we were bondmates, it would have been wrong. And it wasn’t just the age thing either, lack of bond or not...but she was a teacher and I was her student, and she was lying about absolutely everything, she was using me to get information about my family.”

“She wanted to kill them.”

“Yes,” Derek confirmed, hearing Stiles' heart beat quicken ever further. “She had an elaborate plan to set the house on fire with everyone in it, using mountain ash to keep us there...Mom was on alert though, she'd heard there were hunters in the area, and she knew that I was hiding something. They managed to catch Kate and the other hunters in the woods that day, with a flaming arrow set up, accelerant and mountain ash, and...well, it wasn't pretty.”

“And my Dad was part of that?”

“Yeah, he got the story out of me, and Kate confirmed it all. She was actually proud of what she'd done and I guess she figured if she was going down, she might as well gloat, so...yeah. I spent the next few years in therapy and it's taken a long time to get my head right after that. To get over the guilt of being the reason why my family was almost burned to the ground.”

“No!” Stiles exclaimed. “No, you're not the reason, she is. She's the one who did it all and fuck, Derek, you cannot feel guilty about this still. It wasn't your fault.”

Derek squeezed his hand and smiled weakly. “I'm over it now, mostly, but the guilt and fear was pretty strong for a long time. It's why my eyes went blue.”

“Oh, that's...yeah, I'd wondered why they weren't gold. I remembered them being gold.”

“Yeah. I kept them under wraps for a long time, as best I could. I didn't want anyone to ask questions.”

“I'm glad you told me,” Stiles said as Derek pulled into the driveway, glad that this part of the day was at an end. “It doesn’t change anything, and it only makes me love you more.”

“Yeah?” Derek asked, turning to face him after putting the car in park, though he was well aware that the Sheriff was right behind them in his cruiser.

“It doesn't change anything,” Stiles insisted, and Derek could feel his honestly through the bond, as if his steady heartbeat wasn't enough. “And seriously, I know my Dad will have issues with our age difference, but I hope you don't. You know as well as I do that a bond is a situation totally outside of consent laws. If the bond is real, it's forever, right? It's not a teenage folly, it's for keeps.”

“I know that,” Derek said, smiling at Stiles. “I'm not worried about that, not between us.” Derek pulled Stiles into a hug, burying his face in Stiles' neck. It was quickly becoming a place of comfort for him.

There was a loud knock on the window then, and they pulled apart slowly, sharing a long look before heading out to face the music.

Claudia's jeep was already in the drive with the rest of the vehicles. It seemed that there was not going to be any putting this off.

“Let's go, boys,” John said, his face stern. Derek reached out and took Stiles' hand before heading inside.

He was grateful to find that there weren't too many people around, as it was still fairly early on Sunday morning. His mother was waiting for them at the door with Claudia, both of their eyes dropping to Derek and Stiles' clasped hands before taking in the rest of them, definitely not missing their sex mussed hair and the hickeys that Derek's over large t-shirt didn't quite cover on Stiles' neck. To say nothing of the bond bite that stood out below Stiles' ear.

Derek knew without a doubt that his mother, and any other wolf in the house, could smell the sex all over both of them. They hardly had time to have a shower, after all, not that it would have made any difference. It was written all over them.

“Derek, what on earth...I was sure that John had been mistaken, but...” Talia began, shaking her head at Derek, but John interrupted them from behind Derek and Stiles.

“Let's take this to the study, Talia,” he said. Talia nodded, turning and leading the way. As they passed Derek saw that a couple of the early rising kids were in the kitchen with Cara and Michael keeping them contained, throwing curious glances at Derek and Stiles as they went by. The study was pretty full by the time everyone was inside, but Derek supposed it could be worse. It wasn't the whole pack, just his parents, Esther, Peter, Laura, and Stiles' parents.

“Exactly why are we up this early on a Sunday?” Laura asked, yawning. “Some of us need our beauty sleep.”

“Some of us need more than others,” Peter replied with a smirk.

Derek rolled his eyes at them both, choosing to sit in the armchair across from Esther's and pulling Stiles down onto his lap. It soothed him to have Stiles close in this situation, he figured he'd need it by the end. He wrapped his arm around Stiles' waist and with Stiles draping his arm over Derek's shoulder, they couldn't get much closer without pushing past the line into inappropriate.

“This is why we're here this early on a Sunday,” John said, standing beside Derek and Stiles and frowning down at them.

“What the fuck is going on?” Laura asked, her face a picture of bewilderment, an expression that was popular in the room at that moment. “You both reek of sex!”

“It seems that Derek and Stiles are bondmates,” Talia informed the room, to everyone's surprise.

“I don't understand,” David said with a frown. “What about Paige?”

“Paige and I broke up,” Derek replied, meeting his father's eyes. “Last night, before...well, before Stiles and I cemented the bond.”

“Cemented the...then it's already done?” Peter asked. “You're already bonded?”

“Yes,” Derek said.

“I don't believe it,” Laura cut in. “It doesn't happen that fast, you guys haven't seen each other for years!”

“It's done,” Stiles said, using his free hand to press against the bond bite, bringing everyone's attention to it. “And we may not have seen each other, but it's been coming on for a long time.”

“Isn't he a little young for you, Derek?” Peter asked, his voice heavy with amusement.

“Yes, that's exactly the point I want to talk about,” John said, stepping forward. “I am having a hard time dealing with this, believe me when I say that the urge to lock Stiles away and take Derek to the station is warring pretty strongly with my respect for you and the pack, Talia.”

“John, if it's a true bond, then Stiles isn't too young. A bond like that will activate when the younger party is sixteen, so Stiles has been old enough for more than a year,” Claudia stated, moving closer to her husband and taking his hand in an attempt to calm him.

“It's a true bond,” Talia said, drawing everyone's attention. “I felt the pack bond snap into place last night, and while I had no idea it was Stiles, I knew there was a new bond. Naturally I assumed that it was Laura and Michael, but clearly I was wrong.”

“We're waiting for the wedding night,” Laura commented, staring at Derek and Stiles with wide eyes.

“You didn't think it might have been Derek and Paige?” Esther asked.

“No, I knew that Derek was planning to end it with her,” Talia replied. “I also knew that he was feeling the effects of a pre-bond. Neither of us had any idea that it was Stiles who was his bondmate.”

“Okay, so, this is confusing, can we start at the beginning, please?” Peter asked.

Talia nodded. “I already know Derek's side of the story, so I'd like to hear Stiles'. If you don't mind, Stiles.”

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles said, looking down at Derek. He tried to encourage him with his eyes, nodding and squeezing Stiles' waist.

“So, last year when I turned sixteen, I started feeling...cloudy. Like, mentally. I had a harder time than ever focusing and sometimes I just could not get my shit together...it's been a tough year in school, let me tell you.”

“And that's why we adjusted your meds,” Claudia interjected.

“Yeah, exactly, but like, it didn't work. Nothing worked, I just stopped complaining.”

“Stiles,” Claudia breathed, clearly distraught. “Why didn't you say anything?”

“Because I did some research and I kind of figured out what it was. It was like...six months after my birthday, around Halloween, and I started getting that pull, in my core, you know? And I knew then that it wasn't just the meds, so I looked into it and I figured out that it was a bond.”

“You knew you were in pre-bond and you didn't say anything?”

“Yeah, it may not have been the best course of action, but...I hadn't come across the person yet, and I figured there was nothing to be done until I did, so I just waited.” Stiles looked bashful, which was strange to Derek. He leaned up and kissed Stiles on the jaw, turning his blush darker. He met Derek's eyes with a smile and continued.

“I was uh...well, I was kind of hoping it would be someone in particular anyway, and I didn't want to talk about it, so...”

“You were hoping it would be Derek,” Laura said, sitting back and crossing her arms. “You've always followed him around like a little puppy, and the funny thing is, Derek never got annoyed. He hated it when it was Ryan or Gavin or Cora, who's the same age as you, by the way, but he always liked having you around.”

“Yeah, well, that was the hope,” Stiles admitted, his fingers playing with Derek's hair in a very distracting manner.

“I'm still confused,” Peter said. “You've been having pre-bond symptoms for over a year now? Despite the fact that Derek was in the east and you hadn't seen each other in years? How is that possible?”

Stiles shrugged, and John spoke up.

“Pre-bond aside, what I want to know is why you two didn't bring this to our attention as soon as you realised what was going on. I want to know why you, Derek, as a grown man with some semblance of common sense, I would hope, didn't let us know right away and go about this bonding in the proper manner.”

“John,” Claudia warned, giving him a significant look, which he ignored. John's resemblance to Stiles was uncanny, Derek thought, amused despite the situation.

“No, I need to know! If I have to accept a twenty four year old man taking my underage son into the woods and fucking him in the back of his car, then I deserve to know why!” John's voice rose until he yelled the last few words and the room fell silent. It was a rather uncharacteristic outburst for John, but then again, Derek had never seen him tested like this.

“We couldn't wait,” Derek spoke up, meeting John's gaze. “If we had, if we had come back inside, and announced the bond, if we had talked about it with all of you...you'd have separated us.” Derek took a deep breath and leaned more heavily into Stiles. “Because we know Stiles is still young, and you would have expected the bond to go in a more text book manner, developing over time. But...I couldn't have borne it. I would have come after him, and it would have been even messier than this. I'd been feeling the pull too, the same as Stiles, the tug in my gut, the fuzzy head, the feeling that something was wrong. I just...I had no idea it was a pre-bond until I talked to Mom yesterday. I don't know that much about forming bonds really, only what happens after, but it was pulling at me constantly, and it only became worse when I got home. There's no way I could have waited any longer. The tug was...insistent.”

“Insistent? What was insistent was the impending heart attack that came from Claudia calling me at work this morning and telling me that our son was not in his bed, and that he hadn't been all night! That she couldn't reach him because he wasn't answering calls or texts-which is unusual of Stiles to say the least, usually that damn thing is glued to his hand-and none of his friends had any idea where he was!”

“John,” Claudia said softly, no doubt hoping to distract him, unsuccessfully.

“Do you know how I tracked you down this morning, Derek? Or did you think it was just coincidence that I stumbled across you patrolling near the Lookout? As if Sunday morning is such a busy time for teens necking in their cars.” John took a step forward, gesturing frantically as he ranted. “No, I had to use police resources to track down the gps on Stiles' phone.”

“Shit, Dad, you've got gps on me?” Stiles said, aghast.

“Of course I do, what kind of police officer do you take me for, Stiles?”

“To be fair, I've got it on everyone,” Peter interjected. “It's safer that way, especially considering some of the hostile attitudes we've encountered.”

All eyes turned to him, varying levels of shock and annoyance.

“What? I take all of your safety very seriously. I've never had to look anyone up until now, so it's not like I'm keeping tabs,” Peter insisted in his own defence.

“Be that as it may, I'd like to know why. Why was it so insistent? Have you so little control that you couldn't keep your hands off him for even a few hours?” John asked, stepping forward again.

“That's not fair, John,” David said quietly, but Derek appreciated it. “Derek has excellent control.”

Claudia sighed and pulled John back, before speaking up.

“I think I know why,” she said. “It's very unusual for a bond to follow this kind of pattern, but it's not unheard of. John, sit down and I'll explain.”

John sat, grudgingly, leaning back with arms crossed, his body language showing his anger and frustration.

“Usually in cases such as this, when the pair have known each other for a long time, as Stiles and Derek have, the bond is activated as soon as the younger person turns sixteen. If they are separated, then it stays dormant until they meet again, and then it follows the usual course, if a little faster than your average, 'we've just met for the first time', kind of bond.

“In this case, the bond affected both of them over a great distance, immediately from the time Stiles turned sixteen. Usually the bond can grow slower because it's only just begun when they meet, or re-meet, as the case may be, but in this case, the bond had already been building for over a year, and at the point when they met again, it was unstoppable.”

“I still don't understand why,” Esther said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

“Exactly, why did it start when they were so far apart? It doesn't make any sense,” Laura said.

“It can happen, if the bond is exceptionally strong, and if one of the pair possesses a very strong magic.”

“But Derek is a wolf, and Stiles barely tests positive for magic at all,” John said, leaning forward with a frown. “He won't even be able to become an Emissary, so neither of them has any magic to speak of.”

“Stiles does,” Derek said, every head in the room turning to look at him. “He's a Spark.”

The uproar was deafening, everyone exclaiming over Derek's claim or demanding proof, explanations, anything. Derek weathered the storm, holding on to Stiles and looking up to find him looking down, his fingers deep in Derek's hair.

“Way to bury the lede,” Stiles said with a grin. Derek leaned up to kiss him softly, smiling back.

“And I bet you spelled that the old fashioned way in your head, you nerd,” Derek said, grinning wider as Stiles kissed him again.

“Quiet, please!” Talia said, her Alpha voice carrying over the rest. “Derek, how on earth can you know that? Sparks are exceptionally rare, how exactly did you come to that conclusion?”

“Because he's magic,” Derek said. “I felt it the second we bonded. Not just his emotions and sensations through the bond, but...it's like I can feel the magic coursing through my veins. It comes from him and it returns to him, but it's inside me, constantly.”

“Holy shit,” Peter breathed, face slack with astonishment. “He's a Spark.”

“But how do you know for sure?” Laura asked.

“Because that's how a Spark bond works,” Peter told her, but Laura still looked sceptical, and she wasn't the only one.

“When we bonded, there was...magic in the air,” Stiles said, trying to explain, his cheeks colouring as he spoke. “God, that sounds to cliche. Okay, so, when we...well, before the, uh, main event, we...did some stuff, and uh...there was magic, like sparkles in the air. It faded after, but then...” Stiles trailed off, so Derek picked up where he left off.

“When we completed the bond, it was like we were enclosed in a fog, but it was gold and tangible, and it just sat on us like a blanket.”

“How did you get rid of it?” Peter wanted to know, his expression eager. Peter always did like stirring the pot and riling things up, and he was almost obsessive about learning anything he could about anything he could. The more obscure the knowledge, the better. Peter was never satisfied until he knew more than everyone about almost everything. Derek wasn't surprised that he was delighted by this turn of events, and he expected many invasive and inappropriate questions from him in the future.

“We didn't,” Stiles said. “I just pulled it back in.”

“Seriously.” Peter said, smiling, eyes wide. “Can you show us? Just something small, an example, so we can be sure.”

“Peter, enough,” Talia said, frowning at her youngest brother, a look that Laura was able to reproduce very effectively, Derek knew.

“Stiles isn't trained,” Claudia pointed out. “He won't be able to produce magic for your satisfaction, Peter.”

“Actually,” Stiles said, smiling at his mother, apologetic for contradicting her. “I can. I can feel the magic now, and it's just right there.” He held up a hand, and Derek could see that his fingertips were glowing gold, faintly.

“Wow,” Peter and Laura said together.

“That definitely looks like magic,” Esther said, and Derek met her gaze and shared a smile with her.

“Oh, that's nothing,” Stiles said, closing his eyes. Derek could feel the magic surge through him as Stiles pulled at it, bending it to his will. A heavy gold fog, exactly like the one that had surrounded them, shimmered into existence, spreading wide enough to fill the room. If Derek thought his family had been astonished before, their expressions then kicked it up a notch.

“That's what it was like when...uh, yeah, when we were done.”

“Holy shit!” Peter said again, lifting a hand and dragging it through the cloud, just like Derek had.

“Stiles,” Claudia said, her voice soft and amazed. Stiles smiled at her, his eyes bright.

“That's just for starters,” he said, lifting his head and pulling the magic back. The cloud dissipated, swirling and centering on Stiles before fading altogether, his eyes glowing gold before slipping back into their usual amber brown.

“That's incredible,” Claudia said, looking at her son with eyes as wide as his.

“I can do more,” Stiles said, taking a deep breath, and Derek could feel the magic course again.

“That's not necessa...”Claudia began, but Stiles pushed ahead anyway. The temperature dropped and the air in the room seemed to coalesce into a cloud, a real one this time, white and fluffy, floating near the ceiling. A moment later, snow began falling gently on their upraised faces. Gasps and exclamations filled the room once more, before Stiles laughed, giddy with the rush of magic.

“Pull it in,” Derek said, meeting Stiles' eyes and nodding at him in encouragement. Stiles kissed him, hard and fast, but did what Derek said, pulling the magic back, the cloud dissipating as the last one had, the snow melting and evaporating as if it had never been there.

Once everyone had settled down, Derek repeated himself. “He's a Spark.”

“And an exceptionally powerful one,” Claudia confirmed, shaking her head at her son in wonder. “There's no doubt about it.”

“We could not have waited,” Derek said again, looking pointedly at John, who threw his hands up in exasperation but he seemed to deflate a bit, and Derek knew that he would let the age difference go, however grudgingly.

“It makes sense now,” Talia said, catching attention again. “Sparks are rare, and their powers vary greatly, but there is one thing that they all share.”

“A Spark needs a Wolf,” Esther said. “The power is too great, it needs a ground, an anchor. Like a wolf needs an anchor, but more than that, more elemental. Werewolves are creatures of the earth, our magic is tied to the forest, to the land, although it waxes and wanes with the moon. I suppose in that sense it's tied to the sea as well. The Spark needs that anchor to release and control its powers.”

“And the stronger the Spark, the stronger the wolf,” David added, with a nod toward Derek. “Not brute strength, but mental. Strength of character. Your control has always been exceptional, even as a very young child.”

“That's right. You were the only one of our children who never worried us in public, even during puberty. You've always been steady as a rock,” Talia said. Derek smiled at his mother, grateful for her support. “It's no wonder you were meant for Stiles.”

Talia moved forward, standing in front of the armchair that Derek and Stiles were sitting in. “Welcome to the family Stiles. Officially, that is...you've been part of the pack for so long already, it's hardly a change, is it?”

There were some chuckles and quite a few smiles on everyone's face as Talia scented Stiles by clasping the back of his neck and leaning down to rub his cheek across his.

“Thank you,” Stiles said, beaming. He looked at Derek and pressed his face into Derek's hair, the wave of emotion flowing through them both was almost overwhelming. Utter happiness, contentment, belonging, relief...everything was feeding from one to the other until all they could do was hold on to each other. The others conversed around them as they lost themselves in the bond.

The discussion descended into several smaller conversations, about just how powerful Stiles might prove to be, about the likelihood of their bond forming in the first place, and Derek had pretty much had enough. Finally, during a heated argument about the source of magic and power in all types of magic users and supernaturals, Derek stood up, taking Stiles with him.

“We're going to go have a shower,” he said, his arm still around Stiles' waist.

“A nice, long one, I'd wager,” Peter said with a leer that earned him a smack on the head from his mother.

“Leave the boys alone,” Esther chastised. “I remember the time after you and Cara were newly bonded and it certainly wasn't high on dignity for your part.”

The others laughed lightheartedly at Peter, who bore it all with a self deprecating grin. The group broke up after that, some still discussing the situation, some already preparing for the day and some heading back up to bed. Derek made a beeline out of the room for the stairs, pulling Stiles with him, but they were stopped by Talia. Stiles, as soon as Derek was distracted, slipped out of his grasp and went to talk to his parents. Derek couldn’t blame him, a lot had changed for them in just one night. Derek wished he could listen in on their conversation, but not only was it considered rude to do so, his mother was standing in front of him, demanding his attention.

“You didn't stick around long enough last night to hear, but Claudia and I talked about the not-fox problem.”

“Sorry about that, but...no, I can't really be sorry,” Derek said, flushing under his mothers knowing gaze.

“I thought when Paige disappeared that you'd decided to break up with her right then, and that you were deep in discussion somewhere, particularly when neither of you came back. How wrong I was.”

“It was more like ripping off a band aid,” Derek told her. “I'm glad it's done, though I'm sorry that I hurt her. I don't know what I was thinking, getting back with her in the first place. It was a mistake.”

“You're probably right, but it's done now,” Talia said, lifting a hand to grip the back of his neck, soothing his raw nerves.

“Right, so,” she continued. “Claudia has put up the wards, so the not-fox won't be back to bother the Jacobson's chickens, but we still need to find out what it is and deal with it. I was planning to run the Preserve today to track it down, and I'd like it if you joined me. Laura and Andrew will come with us, and maybe Peter, if I feel like I can put up with him.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Derek agreed. “When are you thinking of going?”

“Just before twilight, I think. There's a better chance that whatever it is will be mobile around that time, which means fresh scent trails for us to find. Claudia is going to check the Nemeton out, so we'll meet up with her and start from there.”

Derek nodded, distracted by Stiles, who was hugging his parents. John's face was stony, but Claudia's was filled with pride. He watched as Stiles coloured at her words, an attractive flush high on his cheekbones. Derek could feel his relief and happiness through the bond, and it filled him with happiness as well. His heart started to beat faster when he thought of the many other ways that he could make Stiles happy.

“Well, I think that's all I'll be getting out of you for now,” Talia said with amusement, bringing Derek's attention back to her. “Take your boy upstairs and get clean, then come down for brunch. We'll try to hold off on letting everyone in on the situation now until you come down, but no promises. Congratulations, Derek.”

“Sounds good,” Derek said, leaning in to rub his nose against his mother's check. “Thanks Mom.”

He headed right for Stiles, slipping an arm around his middle, pressing close and leaning in to nuzzle his ear. He was deep in a conversation with Claudia about magic, John having turned aside to discuss something else with David.

Stiles absently rubbed his hand back and forth over Derek's arm, but made no move to end the conversation, so Derek waited, not terribly patiently, for them to be done. It soon became clear that there would not be an easy end point to their discussion, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Right then,” he said, turning Stiles and bending down, wrapping an arm around Stiles' legs and lifting him, leaving him draped over Derek's shoulder. “You can finish this conversation at brunch.”

A soft 'ooof' came from Stiles as his breath left him, but then he was laughing brightly, reaching out to grope at Derek's ass as he took the stairs two at a time.

“You heard the man,” he called back down the stairs. “I'll talk to you soon, Mom.”

Claudia's response was lost in the laughter and general chaos below them, but Derek didn't stop until he had Stiles in his room with the door closed.

 

***

 

Once the door was closed the cacophony of the pack was shut out thanks to the excellent soundproofing, which Derek had never been so grateful for, his high school years included. He dropped Stiles onto the bed and fell on top of him, caging him in with his arms. He pressed his face into Stiles' neck, rubbing his scent into the skin to cover up the newly placed smells of John and Claudia. Once he was that close he couldn't stop himself from sucking at the fragrant skin there, rich with the scent of Stiles. Stiles responded with a lift of his hips, his arousal as plain as Derek's.

“Aren't we supposed to be having a shower?” Stiles asked, though his arms around Derek's shoulders tightened, keeping him close as his hips rolled up into Derek repeatedly.

“Something more important came up,” Derek told him with a grin, pushing himself down into Stiles in the same rhythm, meeting his thrusts eagerly.

“Totally understandable,” Stiles said, his breathing coming faster already. He pulled Derek into a messy kiss, tugging at his shirt until he was successful in pulling it over Derek's head.

“Yours, too,” Derek insisted, leaning back far enough strip Stiles of his shirt, then pushed back further and tugged down his jeans as well, his cock twitching when he realised that Stiles had been without underwear the entire time.

“Fuck, Stiles,” he breathed, pulling the jeans all the way off with Stiles' legs in the air, diving between them and licking a stripe up Stiles' cock, continuing over his belly and chest until he reached Stiles' mouth, diving in for a torrid kiss. He pressed his erection hard into Stiles' groin, relishing the friction. He didn't want to let up long enough to strip his pants off, despite wishing he was bare as well.

“Pants off!” Stiles commanded, so Derek complied, leaning heavily onto Stiles' chest to push the pants over his hips, succeeding in getting them as far as his thighs before giving up, lifting his chest again so he could roll his cock against Stiles', panting into his mouth as the tension kept building.

His breath was coming hard and fast, his heart pounding as the friction pushed him closer the edge. The bond fed the feelings back at him, he could feel the weight of his own body pressing heavy onto Stiles and the clutch of Stiles' arms and legs holding him there as Stiles thrust up into him. He could tell that they were both getting dangerously close, the sensation was sparking throughout him, pushed even higher by the magic coursing through him.

The air was vibrating around them, the magic shaking loose from Stiles' core, shaking everything else in the process. When they came, together, the whole room shook with the intensity of it, sensation and emotion melding together, made tangible by the magic.

The shaking subsided as Derek collapsed onto Stiles' chest, breathing harder than if he'd been running through the preserve at top speed, more drained. And yet, he was as light as a feather, floating on a wave of love and completeness.

 

***

 

The shower ended up taking a little longer than Derek thought Talia had intended, but eventually he and Stiles made it back downstairs. They were clean and well groomed, although Stiles was bearing a few more hickeys than he had been when they went up. Derek thought he may have gone a little overboard, but with a house full of people who would no doubt be wanting Stiles' attention, he decided he was perfectly justified in marking his territory.

The truth was, he just couldn't get enough of Stiles.

When they finally made it downstairs everyone was in the kitchen, gathered around an alarming amount of food. The pack really did eat like wolves, and there were a lot of them, after all. Fortunately, it looked like they had only just begun eating, so there was plenty left for Derek and Stiles.

John and Claudia were still with them, which Stiles was happy about. He had been telling Derek about some of the things he had been discussing with Claudia before Derek had caveman carried him up the stairs. Most of the details had gone right over Derek's head, the intricacies of magic weren't exactly his area of expertise, but Stiles' enthusiasm was very enticing. It was all Derek could do not to tackle him back into the bed and keep him there.

“Ahh, here they are!” Peter called out over the ruckus when Derek and Stiles entered the kitchen. “Who had 10:45?”

“Ha!” Cara exclaimed with a fist pump. “It's mine! Hand it over, suckers!”

The room was filled with cheers, laughter and protests, but Cara claimed her prize, which turned out to be a hefty stack of cash.

“You were betting on when we'd come down?” Derek asked, shaking his head at his family, completely unsurprised.

“The usual pool, everyone puts in a five per pick, bets placed in five minute intervals and the closest wins,” Peter stated. “Naturally, my beautiful genius of a wife has instincts better than the rest, so the pool comes to us.”

“To me, you mean,” Cara corrected, flipping through the stack of bills. “I have my eyes on a fancy new video editor, so it's all mine.”

“You...what?” Peter looked at Cara, mock betrayed. He shuffled closer, slipping an arm around her, his voice taking on a smoother, more conciliatory tone. “I thought we could leave the ankle biters with the pack and have a lovely, last chance before the baby comes dinner. Maybe a luxury hotel with a spa, so you can be pampered to your heart's content.”

“You mean you want to be pampered,” Cara said with a snort. “I don't go in for all the froofy, ridiculously girly stuff and you know it, husband. Besides, we have months before the baby is born, stop being so dramatic. I'm keeping it.” She tucked it into her bra, laughter erupting once more at Peter's expression.

“Betrayed by my own wife,” he said, shaking his head. “You are unbelievable.”

“That's why you married me,” Cara replied with a laugh, kissing him on the cheek.

“So I guess the news is out, then,” Derek said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, still clutching Stiles' hand with the other.

“We got tired of fielding questions, so we let everyone in on the news,” David told them with a grin. “Now sit, and you can field the rest of the questions while you eat.”

Claudia pulled out the seat next to her for Stiles, who sat happily, digging into the food with no hesitation. It wasn't his first time at a pack meal, and Derek was grateful that he'd been bound to someone so comfortable with pack dynamics.

The only other empty chair was halfway down the table and on the other side from Stiles. Derek frowned, eyes landing on Gavin, who was sitting on Stiles' other side.

“What?” Gavin said after a minute, noticing Derek's hard stare and hovering.

“You're in my seat,” Derek told him, hovering even closer.

“I was sitting here when you came in!” Gavin protested, but Derek wasn't budging. He'd not even been bonded for a full day yet, and being separated from Stiles was not something he was going to take sitting down.

“And now you're sitting over there,” Derek told him, pointing to the empty seat between Cora and Nicole.

“Derek, I...” Gavin began, but Derek grasped the back of his neck tightly and pulled, dragging him out of the seat unceremoniously. Once Gavin was standing, Derek picked up his plate and handed it to him, turning him with the hand still on his neck and pushed him away.

“What the...Mom, are you seriously going to let him do this?” Gavin asked, incredulous as Derek sat down in the now empty seat, shuffling closer and rubbing his hand across the back of a very amused Stiles' neck.

“You're the one who got between him and his new bond mate, Gavin,” Talia said, unconcerned. She was well used to squabbles over territory, and this one hadn't even ended in bloodshed.

“Speaking of bond mates, how did this happen?” Andrew asked as Gavin gave up and moved to claim the empty seat, grumbling as he went. Derek began serving himself as he answered his uncle.

“Stiles is a Spark,” he said perfunctorily, eating a slice of bacon casually, as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb in the room. The table fell into silence as everyone stared at him, the only faces that weren't in shock were those who already knew, or those young enough not to understand.

“We've always been bond mates, but the bond activated when he was sixteen. We met again for the first time last night, and the rest is history.”

“But,” Cora asked, confused. “What about Paige?”

“We broke up last night, before Stiles and I, uh...just before. I was going to break up with her anyway,” Derek said simply, looking around the table with a steely gaze. “It had been a while since I'd known it wasn't right, and when I saw Stiles, I knew why. So did he. End of story.”

“Okay, so you both knew and then...you were gone all night, did you take him to a hotel or something?” Ryan asked, earning a smack from Laura, who sat beside him shaking her head.

“We parked the Expedition by the Lookout, actually,” Stiles said cheerfully, ignoring John's glower to beam at the rest of the table. “And now you're stuck with me!”

More questions came hard and fast after that, but Derek and Stiles ignored most of them, letting Claudia and Talia field all but the most thoughtful ones, or ones from the kids. Derek kept his hand on Stiles' neck, the touch grounding him as much as feeling Stiles' emotions slipping through the bond. He ate one handed and shuffled even closer, bit by bit, pressing himself right up against Stiles as the meal went on. Stiles clearly did not mind, he leaned heavily into Derek's side while he was eating, then slumped back into Derek's chest when he'd finished, letting Derek nuzzle his neck and bury his face into Stiles' hair.

With the pack chattering around him and Stiles a solid weight against him, he'd never felt so at home, so much himself. The best part was, it was only the first day. He had a lifetime of days like this to look forward to. He smiled like a sappy fool into Stiles' hair, closing his eyes and breathing him in, letting the feeling wash over him.

 

***

 

It was decided that Stiles, given that he was a Spark of undefinable power, needed to learn how to use  
and control that power. He also needed to learn how all power fed from the earth through the Nemeton, so Claudia opted to bring him with her that evening, as a bit of a crash course. He'd learned many things from her over the years but as of yet all his known in a very theoretical manner, as all his magical ability had been buried deep until the bond freed it.

Derek had misgivings about it, not sure if the forest at twilight was a place for someone as clumsy and inexperienced as Stiles, to say nothing of the increased magical and creature activity. In the end, he could hardly put his foot down, not when his mother and Stiles' mother wanted him there, not when Stiles was so eager to go. They were bound for life and they had to work together and learn to compromise, and despite Stiles' young age, the bond and all it implied made him a de facto adult, capable and responsible for making his own decisions.

All of this spun through his mind as they were getting ready, dinner long eaten and cleared away, the younger kids getting ready for bed, the older settling in to watch a movie and wind down. There was no more time for second guessing, so Derek put his misgivings aside and pulled Stiles into his arms.

“Be careful out there,” he said, leaning his forehead against Stiles', breathing him in. “We don't know what this thing is, and the forest is a bit iffy right now.”

“I promise,” Stiles said soberly, no doubt feeling Derek's worry through the bond, unwilling to forgo the experience, but not insensitive to Derek's feelings.

“Good.” Derek smiled at him, rubbing his hands up and down Stiles' back. “I love you, magic boy.”

“Right back at ya, wolf man,” Stiles replied, grinning brightly and kissing Derek with contagious enthusiasm. Derek moaned into his mouth and deepened the kiss until the moment was shattered by the sound of Laura gagging while Talia cleared her throat. Derek glared at Laura over Stiles' shoulder before turning his attention to his mother.

“Time to go,” Talia told the small group assembled on the back porch. Peter had opted to come as well as Andrew, Laura and Ryan. “We're looking for a poacher, it's like a small fox sized creature, but it undoubtedly has magical qualities. It managed to slip past the Jacobson's dogs not to mention Alex and Sam, so it probably has a form of camouflage. We'll head straight for the Nemeton and fan out from there.”

“It definitely has a magical tinge to its scent,” Derek added. “But it's also very earthy, kind of wild. It's not like anything I've smelled before, so it'll probably be new to you as well.” Everyone nodded, the mood settling into a certain wolfy professionalism, one that only came over them when it had to. They were a rather cheerful and rowdy family in general, so it usually took a lot to bring this mood on them.

“Okay, let's go.”

Stiles gave Derek one more kiss, rubbing his nose over Derek's cheek in a very wolf like manner that soothed Derek's nerves, before joining his mother for the walk. The group spread out as they went in the general direction of the Nemeton. It was located in the middle of the Preserve, but its location could seem to shift and move if it felt the need to hide itself. Derek had no idea how a convergence of magical ley lines could turn almost sentient, but that was part of the magic of the place.

Derek forced himself to focus on the forest around him and not on Stiles' heartbeat, his voice, his sometimes stumbling footsteps. He had a job to do.

It didn't take them as long to reach the Nemeton as it sometimes did, and when they got there, Derek was struck by the sickly-sweet rotten smell coming off the tree. The grey, dead branches were spreading, the leaves piled up on the ground much higher than they had been the last time he was there.

“Holy shit,” Stiles breathed when he saw the tree, and Derek could only agree.

“It's worse than it was even yesterday,” Claudia said, sorrow filling her voice. She moved forward and put her hand on the trunk, holding it for a moment before pulling back and a shakily drawn in breath.

“Claudia,” Talia said, stepping forward to support her, with Stiles on the other side.

“Mom? What's wrong with it?” Stiles asked softly. “Can you tell?”

“No,” Claudia said, dropping her shaking hand and taking a step back. “It almost feels like it's being poisoned, but I can't find a source. There's nothing seeping into it from the earth or the air. I'm at a loss.”

“Can I try?” Stiles asked.

“I'm not sure if that would be the best idea,” Claudia said, but Stiles just shook his head, determined.

“No, I need to try,” he insisted. “I know I'm inexperienced with this kind of thing, well, with any kind of practical magic thing, but I have to start somewhere. Tell me what I'm looking for.”

Claudia looked at him for a few long moments, her face stern, considering. All eyes were on the pair of them, wondering which way the stand off would go. Finally, she sighed and nodded, resigned.

“When you touch the tree, you'll feel the magic converging there...it's not the tree itself that is the Nemeton, the tree is merely the vessel. There are many trees like this spread around the world, and they are no different from any other tree, except for the magic that gives them life. You'll feel that magic when you touch it.”

“Okay,” Stiles said, turning to look right at the tree. “What else?”

“If you follow the lines of the magic, you can see their source in the earth. I can feel the darkness that is sickening the tree, it's clear, but the source is...there doesn't seem to be one. Follow the lines, search them for the source. But don't go too far,” she warned, grasping Stiles' wrist to ensure he was paying attention. “Don't get drawn into it. The Nemeton is power incarnate, and it can defend itself. People have lost their minds to it before, and worse.”

“Well, that's not ominous at all,” Stiles said wryly, earning a snort from Peter. Laura elbowed him in the ribs, but it broke the tension of the moment before Stiles turned back to the massive tree.

“Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. Derek stepped closer, needing to be near him, but trying not to let his anxiety feed into Stiles through the bond. He could feel enough of Stiles' nervousness as it was.

He reached forward and touched the tree, gasping as Claudia had, his shock staggering Derek as he stood. Stiles' eyes glowed, and Derek could feel the magic burning through him as Stiles drew on it, pushing it forward into the tree ever faster, until Derek felt like he was being pulled off a ledge, with Stiles tumbling headfirst before him.

He stumbled to his knees, gasping for air as the magic surged once more, Stiles' shock feeding his own. The shift took him, fangs descending and claws out between one breath and the next, his face shifting in the next heartbeat as the magic burned through him hotter than before.

He pulled himself forward until he was slumped against Stiles' legs, vaguely aware of voices calling out to him, calling to Stiles, but he couldn't answer them. He was lost in the bond, his awareness of Stiles' mental state heightening until he felt as if it was he who was touching the tree. He closed his eyes and he could feel the bark beneath his hand, surging with magic, the lines trailing down into the ground and up into the branches, extending out into the air and deep into the earth.

He saw Stiles as well, mirroring Derek's stance, one hand out, the tree a pulsing mass of cables between them. He pushed his hand forward, reaching for Stiles, pulling with his mind and reaching with his hand until Stiles' fingers were brushing against his, cold and hot all at once. Stiles' eyes lifted to meet his searching gaze, awash in a bright, pulsing silver. He stared into Derek's icy blue beta eyes, and Derek reached further, drawing Stiles out of the cables and back into him, resistance pressing between them.

He gasped in a deep, painful breath, looking up to see his mother and sister staring down at him with wide, fearful eyes. He was still leaning on Stiles, but Stiles had collapsed behind him, crumpled at the base of the tree, gasping for breath and shaking.

“'m okay,” Derek whispered, voice raw. He turned, pulling Stiles off the ground and into his lap, wrapping his arms around the boy and pressing his face into Stiles' neck. His hands slid under Stiles' shirt, tingling as they slipped over cold skin, but he pressed them deep enough to bruise and pulled, drawing Stiles' pain out, his breaths coming more easily now that Stiles had stopped shaking, his chest heaving less violently.

Derek could feel Stiles' confusion as his awareness returned. He let his relief flood into Stiles, his love, warmth, safety. Stiles' breathing slowed, his heartbeat following, settling in to match Derek's. The magic was settling too, Derek could still feel it, but the heat of it was fading into the background. Derek leaned up and fit his teeth onto the bite scar left on Stiles' neck, pressing in with human teeth, grounding them both.

“Stiles,” Claudia was calling, bringing them both back to awareness. “Stiles, baby, talk to me!”

“M'kay,” Stiles mumbled, all tension leaving him as he lay slumped in Derek's arms. “S'okay, I'm here.”

“Barely,” Peter commented, kneeling in front of them, his fingers brushing against Stiles' clammy forehead. “You got lost in it.”

“I know, it...it's the darkness, it's filling the tree, seeping into the earth's magic.”

“It was bright, though,” Derek said, confused.

“What do you mean?” Claudia asked, turning her gaze to Derek.

“I saw it, it...I was there, like I had a hand on the tree, too. Stiles was...across from me, as if it was between us, but it was just a mass of bright cables, surging up and down, like it was flowing in circles.”

Silence fell as the others took in Derek's words, Claudia sharing a look of astonishment with Talia. He felt Stiles slip a hand onto his neck, gripping the base tightly, making him look Stiles in the face.

“You saw that?” he asked, his brown eyes wide with amazement.

“Yes. It was like you were in a trance, so I...I was pushing, I pushed my hand through it until I touched you. Your eyes opened and then we pulled and the next thing I knew, we were free...” he trailed off, looking around him at the darkening forest. He realised that he was wet and uncomfortable, so he pushed himself up, one hand still wrapped around Stiles, standing him up as well. Stiles clung to him, still a bit shaky, but the worst had passed.

“I had no idea that was possible,” Claudia told them. “What he described...it's how we see the Nemeton with we touch it, all the lines of magic converging in the trunk and the spreading out again.”

Stiles was nodding along, looking thoughtful. “You didn’t see the darkness?” he asked Derek.

“No, I just saw you.” Stiles stared at him with a soft smile, shaking his head.

“You saw the darkness though, didn't you?” Claudia asked Stiles, and he nodded.

“Yes, it was...it looked as Derek described at first, but then I saw shadows slipping though the lines and the more I searched for it, the more I found. I pushed further to find the source, and I think that's when I started falling into it.”

“That must have been when Derek fell, literally,” Laura added.

“It felt like I was being pulled off a cliff,” Derek said. He pressed his forehead against Stiles' temple. “Did you find the source?”

“Yes, actually,” Stiles said. “And it would have taken me if you hadn't brought me back. But I found it.”

“Where?” Claudia asked. Stiles turned back to the tree, walking around it slowly, looking at the base, searching for something. The others followed him, looping around until, halfway around, he stopped.

“There,” he said, pointing at a root. Her knelt down and brushed aside some fallen leaves, revealing a small dark spot at the join of two roots.

Talia and Claudia both moved closer, brushing aside more leaves to get a closer look. Derek could see his mother inhaling deeply, her nose wrinkling with distaste as Claudia reached out to touch the spot, pulling her hand back swiftly.

“It's blood,” Talia said, standing up. Claudia nodded her agreement, the tip of her finger red with the remnants.

“It's still damp,” she said, looking closely at it. “And I can feel the malice. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They must have a fair amount of magic to affect the Nemeton like this.”

“Why would they do that?” Stiles asked. “What do they stand to gain?”

“Chaos, for one,” Claudia answered. “They may be seeking to draw off the power of the Nemeton, weakening it by poisoning it.”

“And that's drawing harmful creatures here,” Peter said. “The town isn't called Beacon Hills just because. The Nemeton is a beacon.”

“That's why we act as guardians,” Ryan said, speaking up for the first time as he put the pieces together.

“Exactly,” Talia said. “Our connection to this land is a promise, that we will protect the power that sustains us. Our first duty is always to the Nemeton.”

“So how do we figure out who is doing this?” Laura asked.

“We'll discuss that later,” Talia said. “Right now we need to deal with the immediate problem, and that is whatever has been stealing the Jacobson's chickens. Whatever it is probably won't stick with the chickens for long. We need to find it before it gets out of control.”

 

***

 

Stiles collapsed onto their bed with a thwump, groaning in exhaustion. Derek couldn't help but chuckle at his dramatics, leaning over him to pull one closed eyelid up.

“Hey!” Stiles protested, batting at Derek's hands with his own, laughing with him as Derek's amusement filled the bond.

“Get up,” Derek said, tugging at his arms. “We need to shower.”

“Ugh, fine,” Stiles agreed grudgingly, letting Derek pull him up. Derek stripped off Stiles' shirt and unbuckled his pants, letting his mouth drop to trace along the ridge of his collarbone. Stiles moaned, waking up a bit more, his hands gripping Derek's hips tightly.

“I thought we were going to shower,” he said, tugging at Derek's shirt until he raised his arms and let Stiles slip it off.

“We are,” Derek replied, sucking harder, lips pressed around a hickey he had left on Stiles that morning. “But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it.”

“But I'm so tired,” Stiles said with a whine, letting his head fall back to give Derek better access. “You'll have to hold me up.”

“I will,” Derek said, bending enough to grasp the backs of Stiles' thighs, lifting them and tugging them around his waist. Stiles gasped, wrapping arms and legs around Derek as he carried him to the bathroom. He sat Stiles on the countertop, letting his hands drag down Stiles' legs as his mouth slid down his chest, sucking and licking as he went. He pulled the socks off of Stiles' feet, nuzzling into his cloth covered groin, pressing his nose hard against the erection that strained beneath the fabric before pulling Stiles' underwear down over his ass. Stiles lifted his hips, allowing Derek to pull the offending article of clothing off, tossing it onto the floor carelessly.

“God, Derek,” Stiles moaned, his head hitting the mirror behind him with a dull thud, his fingers buried in Derek's hair. He wrapped his legs around Derek again as he slid back up, catching Stiles' soft, pink mouth in a heated kiss.

Stiles slid his hands over Derek's shoulders and then down his chest, tugging at the button as soon as he hit the waistband of Derek's jeans. Derek took a step back and let his jeans fall to the floor, followed by his underwear as Stiles pushed them off too. He pressed closer, rutting into the crease of Stiles' thigh as Stiles' erection pressed heavily into his abs.

“Not gonna last,” he panted, dropping his hands to Stiles ass and pulling him closer, up off the counter until they were flush from groin to chest.

“Me either,” Stiles said, thrusting wildly as his fingers dug into Derek's shoulders, his nails clawing half moons deep into Derek's skin. The orgasm crashed over both of them simultaneously, leaving them shaking and breathless as the come and sweat pooled between them, the smell of it making Derek's head spin.

“Oh my god,” Stiles said, boneless and half asleep in Derek’s arms.

“Yeah,” he agreed, sucking lazily at Stiles neck before lifting him up and carrying him to the shower, bracing him against the tile as he turned on the taps.

“Fuck!” Stiles exclaimed, coming awake with a start as the cold water hit his skin. It faded warm and then hotter, but it had worked and Stiles was awake enough to support himself, his legs dropping to the floor.

“You asshole!” Stiles accused, water dripping from his hair and eyelashes as Derek laughed. He smacked Derek hard on the arm, pushing the hair out of his eyes.

“The look on your face!” Derek said, still laughing as Stiles' glare cracked, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. Soon they were laughing together, awake enough for now to get clean before heading back into collapse on the bed.

“Still can't believe you did that,” Stiles mumbled as he slid damp and naked under the duvet. “You owe me a morning blowie for that move, wolf man.”

“If you insist,” Derek agreed easily, pulling Stiles close to him, inhaling the warm, clean scent of him, noticing with glee the way that his own scent was clinging to Stiles' skin despite the shower. Stiles was asleep in moments, but Derek found he couldn't find his own rest quite so easily. The events of that evening were weighing heavy on him.

They had found what they were looking for, after a few hours of careful searching. It turned out to be a nest of trow, which was not what Derek had been expecting. Usually they didn’t live so close to the coast, preferring the sparser forest in the mountains. They had originated in Scotland but had spread worldwide over the centuries. They myths of the Old World called them mischief makers, but either they had evolved or the myths had greatly downplayed their viciousness. They were fairly small, each the size of a chihuahua, gnarled and blunt, their greenish grey skin dull in the light of the moon.

They had proved easy to dispatch once they had been found, easier than normal, as Stiles had taken it upon himself to hold them frozen with his magic, effectively cutting off their immediate attack. Derek hadn't been happy with the death they'd had to deal, but trow were cruel and destructive, their appetite growing as their numbers increased. His mother had been right. If left unchecked they would have caused a great deal more damage, and would have eventually began attacking pets, then people, and that was not something that could be borne.

Even more alarming than the trow, they had come across a small pack of adlet during their search, a creature that Derek didn't know much about. They were rare and reclusive, normally living on the fringes of smaller human settlements. Tall, pale blood drinkers, they ran lightning fast with the legs of a dog and the upper body of a human, their faces some kind of mix between the two. Derek had been unnerved by them, their form falling much to close to his own beta shift, though their faces were twisted and savage, human eyes in a dog's face, their long snouts giving them a creepy, repulsive look. Their jaws were brutally strong, a fact that had been proven when one had managed to get a grip on Andrew's arm, snapping the bones like twigs before Peter had managed to sever the beast's spine, freeing his brother from its grip.

They truly were the savage beasts that werewolves had often been accused of being. Derek couldn't help but wonder, now that he and Stiles were safe in their bed and everyone else was no doubt deep in slumber, if long ago someone had mistaken an adlet for a werewolf, perpetuating the myth that werewolves were mindless beasts that turned against their will at night, when the moon rose. It made a shocking amount of sense, and Derek decided to look deeper into it in the morning.

Or rather, when he and Stiles got up. It was early morning already, the sky had began to lighten as they had stumbled back into the house, dirty and exhausted, but all in one piece. Talia had offered Claudia the lone guest room in the busy house, something she had taken eagerly, kissing Stiles on the cheek before stumbling off to bed.

It had been a productive night, if not a good one, though Derek still felt a chill run up his spine when he thought of his experience with Stiles in the Nemeton. The immediate problem had been staunched for the time being, but the bigger problem still loomed over them.

Stiles snuffled into the pillow, pushing himself back into Derek's embrace, and it was enough to distract Derek from his heavy thoughts, his mind brightening with the presence of Stiles, enough to pull him into sleep.

 

***

 

“So my mom wants us to come for dinner tonight,” Stiles said, breaking up the silence of a somewhat lazy afternoon after their long night in the preserve. They had just finished yet another round of sweaty, passionate lovemaking, so Stiles' statement was a bit a of a mood kill.

“Tonight?” he asked, trailing his fingers up and down the cooling skin of Stiles' bare back, relishing every time he hit a sensitive spot and Stiles shivered.

“Yeah, she mentioned it last night while we were on our way out, but in all the excitement I forgot about it.”

“Okay,” Derek said, not knowing what else to say.

“I'll have to get some clothes and things anyway, if I'm going to be staying here,” Stiles said, propping his head on Derek's chest so he could meet Derek's eyes. “I am staying here, right?”

“Yes, of course,” Derek began, trailing off when he realised that they hadn't actually talked about that. “That is, if you want to stay here. I'd understand if you want to stay with your parents still. I'll go whereever you want to go.”

“Seriously?” Stiles asked, a bright smile spreading across his face. “So, if I wanted to go across the country to college, you'd be okay with that? Even though you just got back?”

Derek returned his smile, digging his hands into Stiles' silky hair, scratching across his scalp, a move that never failed to made Stiles' face go slack with bliss, his mouth dropping open. It was almost enough to distract Derek, but he held to the thread of the conversation.

“I wanted to come back, it's true,” he said, loving how Stiles leaned into the touch. “But I know now that it was you I was coming back to. I missed the pack, and I'll miss them again if we go somewhere else, but Stiles...it's you I need. No one else.”

“I need you, too,” Stiles said, his expression turning serious once more. “And I'd love to live here, though we may have to make some compromises with my parents. I have a feeling it's one of the subjects up for discussion at tonight's dinner.”

“I'm really looking forward to it,” Derek said with a straight face that didn't break until Stiles threw his head back and laughed. Derek rolled him over to kiss the laughter, feeling like he was tasting Stiles' happiness, and that swiftly shifted into other activities.

In the end, they were a bit late to dinner.

 

***

 

“Derek,” John greeted, shaking his hand in a tight, testing grip. Derek could tell he was on edge, that he still wasn't pleased about Derek and Stiles' relationship. Derek knew that John liked him just fine, or had, but Derek's very intense and sexual relationship with his still underage son, bond or not, certainly wasn't helping.

“John, hi,” Derek said, looking longingly after Stiles, who was already in the living room, animatedly talking with Claudia.

“I'd say it's good to have you, but I'm not sure if that'd be a lie or not, so I'll refrain.”

“Fair enough,” Derek said, standing awkwardly by the front door, wondering if John was going to let him past or if they'd just be standing at the door for the entirety of the evening.

As if reading his mind, Stiles said, “let him in, Dad,” reaching around John to grab Derek's hand and pull him into the room. “Stop trying to intimidate him. It's not going to change anything. Roll with it, Pops.”

“Dinner's almost ready, boys,” Claudia said, doing her best to ignore the tension in the room. “Why don't you wash up?”

“Sure,” Stiles said, using his grip on Derek's hand to pull him further into the house, leading him to the downstairs powder room.

“Both of us won't fit in there,” Stiles said as he opened the door. “You go first.”

Derek did his washing up quickly and then waited for Stiles in turn. He supposed he could head to the dining room by himself, he knew the way after all, but John's behaviour had him feeling a bit hesitant, so he opted to wait.

It didn't get any less awkward as they sat down to dinner. Claudia and Stiles filled the space with eager talk of magical theory and practice, trying their best to keep Derek and John involved, but neither of them was knowledgeable enough about magic to contribute much, though Derek tried to absorb as much information as he could.

It wasn't until dessert that the real conversation started, and when it did, Derek didn't know how to feel, relieved or apprehensive. Stiles reached under the table and clasped his hand tightly, sending as much love and support through the bond as he could.

“So, we have some things to discuss, it seems,” John said brusquely.

“Though we could do it with civility,” Claudia said, a warning to John.

“I can be civil,” John said, though Derek could sense his hesitance. “But we have some things to work out, and we're going to do it now.”

“Fair enough,” Claudia agreed.

“What do we have to work out, Dad?” Stiles asked.

“Well for one, your living arrangements,” John said, looking from Stiles to Derek and back again. “Now, I know that you two have some kind of magical bond and I've come to understand the rarity of it, why it happened the way it did, but I'm still concerned about how fast this is moving.”

“Dad, it's moved as fast as it's going to,” Stiles said. “This isn't just a...relationship. We're soul bound for life, that's not going to change.”

“And that's what I'm struggling with,” John replied. “Just a couple of days ago you two were all but strangers.”

“We were never strangers,” Stiles interjects. Derek smiled at him and squeezed his hand under the table.

“Be that as it may, you hadn't seen each other in years, not since Stiles was a child.” Stiles scoffed at that, but John merely continued, ignoring his outburst. “So for all intents and purposes, you were strangers.”

“You're right,” Derek admitted, shooting a glance at Stiles, who was looking at him in surprise.

“No, he's right, Stiles,” Derek insisted. “At least for me. I only knew you when you were a young boy, you were only eleven when I left, and the last time I saw you, you were thirteen. I never thought of you that way...the way I do now.” Derek could feel the heat on his cheeks, but he continued, “though I know you thought about me that way before I left.”

“Yeah, because you were hotter than the sun and I was a teenage boy,” Stiles said, leering at Derek in a way that had his father shaking his head.

“Anyway,” Derek emphasized, though he couldn't help the rush of fondness that was no doubt surging through the bond. “Your Dad has a valid point, so I understand where he's coming from.”

“Thank you, Derek,” John said, his face showing his surprise. “That's exactly what I meant. Stiles, I know you've been feeling connected to Derek your whole life, and that you've had a crush on him,” Stiles scoffed again, but again, John ignored him.

“A crush on him,” he repeated firmly. “For a long time, and I understand why, I know that the bond has driven these feelings, but I still feel like it's too much, too soon. That said..”

He stopped and took a deep breath, glancing at Claudia, who had been patiently watching the scene unfold.

“I know this cohabitation thing is going forward...”

“We can't be separated,” Stiles insisted, pulling Derek's hand into his lap and staring at his father with wide, panicky eyes. “Please Dad, don't try or...”

“Stiles,” Derek said quickly, stopping him from going any further, pushing calm and support through the bond. “Calm down. Listen.” Stiles met his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Derek nodded to John, who continued again.

“As I was saying,” John began again. “I know this cohabitation thing is going forward, and I have a feeling you'll be setting up camp at the Hale house for the time being.” He raised his brows at them, clearly asking for a confirmation.

“Yeah, that was the plan,” Stiles said.

“In that case, your mother and I want you to move back in before school starts.”

“With Derek, of course,” Claudia pointed out, taking John's hand. “By then your Dad should be a little more on board with the whole thing, and it'll be a smoother transition.”

“Is that okay?” Stiles asked Derek, accepting at last that his Dad wasn't going to try and split them up.

“Of course,” Derek turned to look at Stiles straight on, lifting his free hand to cup Stiles' cheek. “Yes, I'd prefer to live in the pack house, and yes, I hope we move back there after you graduate, but your family is pack too, even before the bond happened, and I'd be happy to live here with you. With all of you.”

“That's...good,” Stiles said, trailing off and leaning forward instead, showing his gratitude by kissing Derek softly and then leaning their heads together.

“I'd go anywhere to be with you, Stiles,” Derek said quietly, burying his head in Stiles' neck, just leaning against him.

“That's very touching, I'm sure,” John said, his voice tight. “But we'll need to lay some ground rules for when you live here, and for before then, when you visit.”

“Dad, you can't tell us not to have sex, okay? That's not how the bond works,” Stiles said, unabashed, while Derek's cheeks flushed hot again.

“For fuck's sake, Stiles,” John said, pressing his face into his hands.

“What your Dad means is that he understands the nature of your relationship, and he will learn to be fine with it,” Claudia said, squeezing John's hand and giving him a significant look. “But if you could keep the overtly sexual pda to a minimum, his heart would appreciate it. Being affectionate is fine, but keep it pg, if you would.”

“It's hard enough being aware of that part of your relationship, but I don't wanna see any hints of it.” John wore a sad expression now, staring at Stiles with a furrowed brow. “I know you've grown up, and you're officially an adult in the eyes of society and the law, but you'll always be my baby boy, and it's hard to get past that. I will be fine, you've just got to give me time.”

“We can do that, Dad,” Stiles agreed. “Thank you.”

“Yes, well,” John said, dropping his gaze to the table and taking a deep breath. “I'm gonna get some more coffee.” He got up, squeezing Claudia’s shoulder as he went by.

Derek returned Stiles' broad smile, leaning close to breath in the scent of him, relaxing completely for the first time since they'd arrived. It would all be just fine, eventually.

 

***

 

The next few weeks went by in a blur of Stiles, sex, pack, and the best sleep Derek had ever had in his life. Interspersed during the weeks following the bond were many more runs in the woods with his mother, siblings, and uncles as more and more bizarre and destructive creatures began to pop up in the Preserve. Derek had already began liaising with the Ranger Service as the creatures continued to wreak havoc. They were killing the natural wildlife indiscriminately, destroying many trees and waterways, and even attacking people who were jogging or hiking thorough the forest. A rabid wendigo had made off with one of Alex Jacobson's cows, right from under the watchful noses of his dogs. It had prompted Claudia to strengthen her wards around the farm, which had been a good learning experience for Stiles.

The Nemeton was getting sicker, there was no avoiding it. Stiles and Claudia had visited it several times, though Claudia had forbade Stiles from touching the tree again, a precaution that Derek readily agreed with. Stiles had been training almost daily with his mother, learning how to utilize the power he had, learning how important intent was when it came to spells, and pretty much just blowing her away with his proficiency. He was a natural, incredibly powerful, humble with a cocky streak and immensely talented in the use of his magic. Derek could always tell when they were practising, because even when there was distance between them, Stiles' magic flowed through him.

In what was an uncharacteristic move, Peter had spent some time discussing the situation with Derek, as he was the one person in the pack who was a fount of esoteric knowledge. Having a conversation with Peter was usually like walking a minefield, but sometimes he was fairly direct and forthcoming, and fortunately for Derek, he had plenty to tell on the subject that he was willing to share.

Derek already knew that a Spark needed a wolf to ground them, and Peter expanded that, informing Derek that they almost never bonded otherwise and if they did, their magic would be trapped irrevocably. Most wolves formed bonds with their partners, but while a wolf bond was deep and strong, a Spark bond went much further. Wolf bonds were a choice, but Spark bonds were magically driven and all but impossible to ignore.

Peter had described the bond like a wire with the magic flowing through it, the wolf acting as a conduit, taming and grounding the wildness of the raw power so that the Spark could utilize it.

“Not only is Stiles very powerful, as evidenced by the sheer power he displays, but his control exceptional for one so untrained, and that's down to you. It's your strength that controls the flow of magic and that gives Stiles control over its use.”

“But I'm not doing anything,” Derek replied, confused. “It just flows through me, there's nothing I do to affect that.”

“To the contrary,” Peter insisted. “You may not be doing it consciously, but you are doing it. For instance, that night at the Nemeton, though perhaps it's an extreme example, you were able to stem the flow of Stiles' magic and pull him out.”

“Is that what I did? Derek asked, thinking back to the events of that night. “I didn't know what I was doing.”

Peter scoffed. “And yet, you did it. It's like a muscle, Derek. It will work without you giving it any thought at all, but the more you exercise it, the more you practice with it, you'll find that you're able to have a much greater effect on the flow of Stiles' magic.”

“But he already has control,” Derek pointed out. “What more can I do?”

“But he doesn't really have control, does he?” Peter pointed out. “The magic does what he wills it to, that much is true, but he hasn't learned precision and for that he'll need you. He can make snow appear and coat the study, but I'd bet he would have a much harder time making it snow over just one person.”

Derek nodded, thoughtfully considering what Peter was saying.

“There are such tales about the power and finesse of Spark bonded pairs, they are an unstoppable force when working as a team, and you and Stiles can learn to do that.”

So...I should be training with him, then,” Derek said, and Peter nodded.

“You should. Claudia will likely ask you to join them soon, but if you pay close attention, you'll be able to pinpoint the magic that he's using and you'll be able to effect it.”

Derek closed his eyes and reached out for Stiles through the bond, knowing that they were in the forest practising. He felt Stiles' acknowledgement, the increased contact bringing the surge and flow of Stiles magic into stark relief.

During the course of the last few weeks, Derek had become accustomed to the coursing of Stiles' magic, and it had all but faded into the background of his awareness. He focused on it and found that he could feel it as strong and immediate as he had when they had first bonded.

“Can you feel it?” Peter asked, excitement tinging his voice.

“Yes,” Derek replied, breathing in deeply.

“Good. If you want, you can try to change the flow of it...push it further or pull it back.”

Derek took another deep breath and imagined the magic flowing out of him in a stream, then imagined the stream bed narrowing, restricting the flow of magic that was leaving him. The burst of alarm from Stiles let him know that it had worked, that he'd been successful. He let it out, imagining the river flowing wider, deeper, and knew it had worked from Stiles' instant reaction.

“It worked, didn't it?” Peter asked, his eyes wide and bright, a smile on his face. “Tell me it worked.”

“How do you know all this, anyway?” Derek asked, avoiding the question to frustrate him.

“I'll tell you if you answer the question,” Peter said, his eyes narrowing at Derek.

“Yes, it worked,” Derek admitted.

“I knew it!” Peter exclaimed. “It's incredible, the Spark bond. I've studied all types of bonds, but the Spark bond is the most unpredictable and powerful. There's no limit to what a Spark bonded pair can accomplish, Derek. I never imagined that I would ever have the privilege of knowing a Spark, and yet here you are, my own nephew, bonded to one. And not just any Spark, but the most powerful one in recorded history.”

“You don't know that,” Derek said, unwilling to believe the implications of Stiles' power.

“Oh, but I do. I've studied Sparks and Spark bonds my whole life Derek, my job in this pack is to know everything, to have as much knowledge as possible against potential threats, and I take that very seriously.”

“Plus, you enjoying knowing more than everyone else and hoarding the information until it suits you.”

Peter smirked. “Well, what use is all that knowledge if you can't use it to your own benefit?”

“So what made you give me this info so freely?” Derek asked, suspicious, as always, of Peter's motives.

“Nothing but the pleasure of seeing you and your bondmate grow and thrive...” he trailed off as Derek lifted a brow, giving him a piercing look. “Okay, fine, it's because I want to see it in action. Having a Spark in the pack is not something I'd imagined could happen, and with all the crazy stuff going on in the Preserve, it's best if we can get the two of you working in sync sooner rather than later.”

“Only slightly selfish motives, then?” Derek said.

“Oh, definitely selfish motives, but not only selfish,” Peter clarified, his smirk deepening. What he might have said next was lost when Stiles came crashing out of the forest, jogging towards where Peter and Derek sat on the back porch steps, Claudia following behind him.

“What was that?” Stiles asked, panting with exertion. The red blush on his cheeks and sweat beading on his hairline made Derek think of all the other ways he could make Stiles look flushed like that. He pushed those thoughts aside for a later time, instead focusing on Stiles' bewildered face.

“What was what?” Derek asked innocently, standing up to take Stiles in his arms, dropping a soft kiss on his lips.

“You know what,” Stiles said, eyes narrowing even as he moved closer, wrapping his arms around Derek’s waist. “I felt you in the bond and then the magic...tightened. Like it was being restrained.”

“It totally worked,” Peter said with a pump of his fist. “I told you.”

“You've been instructing Derek on how the bond works then, Peter?” Claudia asked as she joined them. “That's not your job, you know.”

“Yes, wise Emissary,” Peter said, the smirk back on his face. “But you hadn't got there yet, and he asked.”

“I was testing out the breadth of Stiles' power. Finesse was next. But your timing was perfect.” She looked at Stiles and continued, “we were just talking about precision and how you needed to learn to control the power you use, and how we'd be bringing Derek with us to help.”

“Right, and I had no idea what you meant, until it happened.” He turned back to Derek and grinned up at him. “How did you do that?”

“I just...imagined the magic flowing out and...held it back.”

“And then let it go,” Claudia finished, shaking her head. “He was pushing harder when you let it go, and ended up shattering the rock he'd been trying to levitate before you restricted the magic.”

Derek laughed, smiling down at the beautiful boy in his arms. “We can use the gravel to re-line the driveway,” he said, laughing again at Stiles' scowl, then kissing it off his face.

“Okay, so I understand that Derek can control the flow of the magic, to keep me from being overwhelmed, right?” Claudia nodded, so Stiles went on. “But how do we make that work? Derek won't be with me every second, unfortunately.” He grinned at Derek again, warmth and love filling Derek's chest until he thought he would burst. He wondered if that would ever change, if he would ever get used to having Stiles in his life and in his arms.

“With practice you'll be able to pull on it without Derek's knowledge, it's really just a way to help you learn how to pull on it without...well, without blowing yourself or anything else up with the sheer power. That's why the Spark needs a wolf, to anchor and establish the control until the Spark become proficient. So, we'll need to train with Derek for a while, until you get used to it.”

“Not a hardship,” Stiles said, burrowing into Derek's arms again.

“Don't get too excited,” Claudia said, shaking her head at her son. “It'll be hard work.”

“We're up for it,” Derek said, kissing Stiles' upturned face before taking his hand and pulling him inside. “Just let us know when.”

“Now is a good time,” Claudia began, but Derek had other plans for the next hour or so, and they certainly didn't involved Stiles' mother.

“There's no getting them back now,” Derek heard Peter say. “They'll be locked in their room all afternoon.”

Derek missed Claudia's response, all his attention shifting to the boy in his arms, picking Stiles up to carry him up the stairs to their room. Training could wait another day.

 

***

 

The summer was slipping by, but the weekend before Derek started his new job, he made some time to take Stiles back to the Lookout for another night in the truck, this one with a much less dramatic morning, waking up slowly together and making love again before packing up and heading to town. They hit the diner for a late breakfast and then went to the mall. It definitely wasn't one of Derek's favourite places, but Stiles loved the bustle. At any rate, Derek had a brother and two cousins who had upcoming birthdays and he wanted to actually buy them gifts this year. He'd been sending gift cards while he'd been in the east, but now that he was home, he'd learned more about their hobbies. Enough to buy them a more personalized gift, anyway.

Stiles thrived at the mall, doing a fair bit of shopping himself, new graphic tees, a new pair of shoes, a rather large pile of magic books and a couple video games. They'd picked up a game for Matthew's twelfth birthday, and a few trinkets for Julie and Jaime, who were born three days and six years apart, an event that Nicole grumbled about every year, complaining that they weren't even close enough in age that they could share a party. The pack was less than sympathetic during the time building up to the events, but everyone pitched together to throw both of them a grand birthday party anyway. Derek was thrilled he'd get to be there for the parties, and for Matthew's a few weeks later.

By the time they stopped for some food in the middle of the afternoon, Derek's head was spinning with the rampant consumerism and far, far too many people, eager to get back out into the forest for a run and some solitude.

He was waiting for their food, leaning against a counter with Stiles standing between his legs nuzzling his neck, their shopping in piles around their feet when he caught a glimpse of Paige across the food court. She was sitting with a friend that Derek vaguely remembered from high school, their heads close as they engaged in a hushed but intense conversation. Derek resisted the urge to listen in, instead letting the cacophony of the food court wash over him and blot out any specific voices. She looked...well, not too good, he was sad to see. Her expression was tight and her skin looked sallow, as if she'd not gone outside since the last time Derek had seen her, almost three weeks ago.

“What are you looking at?” Stiles asked, drawing his attention away from Paige and her friend.

“Nothing, I...well, it's Paige,” he replied, turning his gaze to Stiles instead of his ex-girlfriend.

“Oh,” Stiles said, turning around to look in the direction Derek had been looking, spotting Paige across the room. “She doesn’t look very good,” he said sadly, turning back to Derek. “She's probably hurting still. You're not the kind of guy who's easy to get over.”

“But, it wasn't right, me and Paige,” Derek insisted. “She had to have known that.”

“Maybe not,” Stiles said, looking back again. “She didn't have the bond pulling at her, she just had her feelings. And they are what they are, even if the other person doesn't feel them back.”

Derek followed his gaze and noticed another woman joining them, her long dark hair framing a beautiful face, but the effect was ruined by cold, dark eyes that cut through Derek like a scythe. All three of them stared at where Derek stood with his arms around Stiles.

Derek's eyes met Paige's for a moment, but she looked away quickly when he smiled weakly at her. The whispered conversation started up again, with a few more glances in their direction, but Derek focused on Stiles, hoping that Paige would find a way to get over him sooner rather than later. He felt bad for hurting her, but he had no regrets. Stiles was warm in his arms, fitting perfectly against him, their bond alive and humming between them. He leaned down and kissed him, sucking gently on his bottom lip, letting go and just breathing him in until their order number was called.

He gathered up their bags as Stiles grabbed the food, both of them agreeing wordlessly to find a table on the other side of the dinning room.

 

***

 

Training with Stiles was interesting, to say the least. Claudia took them into the forest to a clearing, and asked Stiles to use his magic to enhance the growth of a tiny, sprouting bush. There were many sprouts around the edges of the clearing, which Derek assumed was why Claudia had chosen that place to start.

“Okay Stiles, just focus on the sprout and...encourage it. Push a bit of magic into it until it begins to grow.”

“Right, no problem,” Stiles says, cracking his knuckles dramatically. He stared at the sprout, his eyes lighting up, flashing silver as Derek felt him draw on his magic. It worked for a split second, the plant grew taller, new leaves reaching for the sky, and then, it exploded up and out, turning from a sprout into a mass of bramble, tearing up the earth as the roots grew exponentially.

Stiles stopped, breathing heavily as he took in the disaster that was now a massive bush in front of him.

“Well, that was effective,” he said, smirking at Derek. Claudia scoffed, moving to stand beside him.

“Not very effective at all. You had no control, just raw power.”

“But it worked, I made it grow,” Stiles insisted.

“Yes, you did, but at a rate so fast that it'll probably die soon. You've used up its entire life span in seconds, when all I asked you to do was encourage it,” Claudia explained.

Sure enough, the leaves on the bush began to crumble, curling in on themselves and falling off, the branches turning grey.

“Because you stopped so suddenly, almost without intending to, you left some of the magic behind, and it's continuing to effect the growth, much more slowly. It will be nothing but a mass of dead brush in a few minutes.”

“Yeah, okay, I see what you mean,” Stiles said, reaching out to break off the tip of a branch, the twig coming away easily in his hand, the wood dry and brittle.

“Try again,” Claudia said, pointing to another sprout a few feet away. “But this time, be careful, try to only draw on a small stream of magic, just enough to make the plant grow a few inches. And slowly.”

Stiles squared off his shoulders and faced the plant like a nemesis, breathing in deeply to center himself, and tried again.

For the longest time, nothing happened except the plant shivering, wavering a bit as if it was trying to grow but couldn't. Suddenly, it exploded upwards, growing even larger than the first before crumbling all at once, and falling into a heap of twisted, dead branches and dry leaves.

“It's like,” Stiles panted, a thin layer of sweat on his brow showing his exertion. “It's like, I can't pull the magic at all, I'm trying and trying, but only a little and I'm getting nothing and then boom, it's like a dam breaking and it just pours through me.”

“It's exactly like a dam breaking,” Claudia agreed. “The magic is flowing thorough Derek, he's the conduit, but you need to use a certain amount of force to tap into it. That's why you need the bond, without a wolf to temper the power, a Spark would only ever be able to work in big, powerful gestures. Precision and delicate wards and spells would be beyond you.”

“But I can learn,” Stiles stated, determination on his face.

“Yes, you can. Control will come easily to you, but first Derek must learn how to utilize his control, how to inhibit the massive flow and keep the dam from breaking. Then he'll learn how to anticipate what you need, and it'll be instinctual, he won't even need to think about it. You'll call on the magic, a purpose in mind, and Derek will allow you however much power will be needed for the task.”

“That's encouraging,” Stiles said, reaching out to take Derek's hand, pulling him closer.

“That's another reason why only the strongest of wolves can bond with a Spark,” Claudia continued. “Holding back that power from a determined Spark is not easy, but it does get easier with practice.”

“Peter said it's like a muscle that I'll know how to use without thinking, as soon as I've trained it,” Derek said.

Claudia nodded. “Yes, that's exactly right. So, it's your turn to practice, Derek. When Stiles pulls on the magic to make the sprout grow, I want you to tamp down on it like you did the other day, hold it back and just let a little bit through, and we'll see what happens.”

So they did. Derek and Stiles approached the next sprout and then Stiles called on the magic, Derek could feel it pulsing though him. He closed his eyes and held on, imagining the river again, narrowing the flow until it was just a trickle, just enough for Stiles to encourage the plant to grow.

“Good, that's good,” Claudia said. Derek opened his eyes, watching as the sprout got bigger, but oh, so slowly that it was only just noticeable. “Now Derek, let a little more through.”

Derek let the river open up a bit more, a small stream that flowed into Stiles and out. He watched as the plant grew quicker, leaves and new branches slipping from it smoothly.

“Okay, tighten it down again.”

Derek did, the change coming easier to him every time he did it. He could feel Stiles tugging at the magic insistently, but he put that aside and just gave him a little, barely enough to move the plant at all.

“And more again, this time a bit more than before,” Claudia said, eyes flicking from the plant to Stiles. Derek let go a little more, opening up the stream, and the plant responded immediately. Stiles looked up at him with a grin and he lost focus, his control over the stream slipping. The next moment, a massive pile of dead branches and leaves sat before them, just like the other two.

“And that's why we need to practice,” Claudia said with a wry smile. “Let's do it again.”

 

***

 

They spent almost every spare moment for the next week and a half working on controlling the magic. As exhausting as it was, it was exhilarating for Derek to see the progress. His control hadn't slipped since that first training session, and Stiles was becoming better at pulling just what he needed, not asking for too much. Derek learned to read him and trust him, and not only did it improve the delicacy with which Stiles could work, but it deepened the bond even further, until there were times when Derek wondered if he'd thought a thought, or if it had been Stiles.

Stiles had been excited at the prospect of speaking telepathically, but Claudia just laughed when he brought it up. Their sense of each others emotions would continue to grow, but to Stiles' dismay, telepathy was not in the cards.

“But it would be so cool!” Stiles exclaimed, disappointed.

“I already have you chattering away to me whenever we're together. I don't think I could handle it in my head,” Derek said with a grin at Stiles' mock offended face.

“You'd love my voice in your head,” Stiles insisted, wrapping his arms around Derek's waist and pulling them close. “Imagine what I could say, across the dinner table,” he said, and Derek's eyes widened as a rush of desire flooded into him.

“It's probably for the best,” Derek croaked, turning Stiles around and pushing him out of the kitchen, where they had been discussing the bond with Talia, Claudia and Peter. “We'll be down in time for dinner.”

Stiles took the stairs two at a time, making Derek chase him, his happy laughter ringing through the stairwell, his excitement filling the bond and making Derek's head spin. He caught up with Stiles just outside their room, lifting him up and carrying him through the door before closing it and pressing Stiles into it, lips and teeth already working a new hickey onto Stiles' collarbone.

“I guess I don't need telepathy to tell you what I want, after all,” Stiles breathed, before Derek silenced him with a kiss.

 

***

 

Life got even busier when Derek had started working, and although he was tired mentally and physically by the end of each day, he loved it. Waking up to Stiles, spending mornings with the pack, getting paid to spend every day in the forest where he grew up, and coming home to Stiles every night...it was beyond what he could have dreamed for himself.

The pack kept him busy, and Stiles kept him loose and relaxed with more orgasms that he'd thought were capable for his body to endure, but their desire for each other never let up. Perhaps it was the magic that was feeding them and the heightened bond that ramped up the arousal whenever they were around each other, but whatever it was, Derek was always ready for Stiles at the drop of a hat. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It was the best thing he could have imagined.

They hadn't had any luck figuring out who had been infusing dark magic via blood into the Nemeton. Claudia had allowed Stiles into the tree a few more times once he and Derek had perfected the flow of the magic, but only when Derek was able to be with them. Derek had restricted Stiles' magic so that he'd only been able to skirt the surface, but he'd still been able to see where the darkness was. The last time he'd tried, their precision had been such that he'd been able to see that not only was the dark magic poisoning the Nemeton, but it was allowing the user to syphon its magic off as well, fuelling their dark powers. It explained why the Nemeton seemed to get so sick so fast, the effect had been exponential. Stiles had resurfaced very shaken that time, and hadn't wanted to go back in since. He'd been cold and ill at ease for hours afterwards, and hadn't recovered completely from it since then.

Going back in hadn't been necessary, as the time since then had seen the amount of dark creatures in the forest on the decline, until a period of several weeks had gone by without one new incident. However, the lack of activity had Talia and Claudia suspicious. Rather than allaying their fears, it had increased them.

Which is why Derek found himself back in front of the Nemeton one hot Saturday afternoon, with Stiles and their mothers and a few other pack members, ready to support Stiles, as he had decided to delve back into the Nemeton. He was determined to figure out what was going on, though Derek was apprehensive about the idea.

He held Stiles' hand, letting Stiles' growing confidence in his power and precision bolster his doubts, Stiles' strength building him up, even as Stiles relied on Derek's strength to guide and anchor him.

“Are you ready?” Claudia asked, wrapping her hand around Stiles' free one and squeezing.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said, smiling at her and then leaning into Derek for a moment before stepping forward, close enough to the Nemeton that he could touch. Derek went with him, maintaining his grip on Stiles' other hand. He wanted to be close, for his own peace of mind, if nothing else.

Stiles gave Derek one more look, taking a deep breath before reaching out and pressing his palm against the tree. He sucked in a shocked gasp as he did, but this time Derek was prepared, moving closer to Stiles and pressing his forehead against Stiles' temple, breathing in slowly as he pulled back on the magic, resisting the surge Stiles was attempting to wrest from him, keeping Stiles closer to the surface. He'd almost fallen into the Nemeton once, and Derek wasn't about to let that happen again. They'd been completely unprepared that time, none of them knowing enough about the wolf's part in the Spark's power, but this time he was ready.

It wasn't like the first time, when he had followed Stiles into the magic to pull him back. Derek stayed out of it, just keeping Stiles at the surface, even when he felt the tug indicating that Stiles wanted more. Derek was beginning to understand on a practical level how well suited they were. Stiles was brash and reckless, throwing himself fully into every situation he found himself in, giving every part of himself to his studying, to training, to his family, to the pack. To Derek. He cared deeply, loving fiercely and protected those he cared about without restraint.

It was a very well meaning characteristic, but Stiles didn't seem to know when enough was enough. He had no restraint when it came to the things he cared about, and the result was that he often wore himself out completely before he'd let go.

Derek, on the other hand, had always had a stoic, self disciplined character. He'd always held himself back, controlled, caring just as fiercely but in a much more rational, methodical manner. In the end, it was what made them perfect for each other, complimenting each others personalities.

It was Derek's job to hold Stiles back and protect him from himself, from his own passion, and that was what he was doing, no matter how much Stiles wished it otherwise. They'd argued about it in the several weeks leading up to this visit, but Derek always prevailed.

He could feel the edges of the magic pulling on his mind as it was pulling on Stiles, urging him to go deeper, but Derek didn't give in. He held them back, and when Stiles pulled himself out it was smooth and easy, just a rush of breath and a pounding heart, his eyes wide as he stared at the bark under his hand.

Stiles pulled back and turned toward his mother, who was watching avidly. “It's...well, it's still poisoned,” he began, rubbing a shaky hand over his face. “But it's less than it was, the sacrifices have stopped. For good or just temporarily, I don't know, but the magic is pushing the poison out, slowly.”

“Well, that's good, I suppose,” Claudia said, frowning. “Good that whoever it is has ceased their attempts to consume the Nemeton's magic, but then again, that doesn't mean they've given up altogether.”

“Perhaps they've got what they needed and have gone,” Laura commented. Derek thought she was being a bit optimistic, and he wasn't the only one, if Stiles and Peter's scoffing was any indication.

“It's a possibility we can't ignore,” Talia agreed, giving Peter a significant look. “But we need to keep watching. It could be that they have moved on, or that their plan has changed. Just because there is less creature activity in the area, that doesn't mean we should become lax.”

“We'll keep up the patrols, then,” Peter said, nodding. “At least for the time being.”

Claudia added, “Stiles and I will continues to chart the sickness of the Nemeton, so we'll know if they come back.”

“Is there anyway we can track this person?” Stiles asked, his brow furrowed. “I feel helpless, like all we're doing is waiting for whoever is doing this to make a move. We can't be proactive.”

“Patrolling is as proactive as we can get right now,” Talia told him. “It's aggravating, but there's nothing else we can do.”

And so it had continued, for another several weeks. Derek kept working and studying with Stiles, who was throwing himself into his training with fervour. His precision was increasing daily and Derek found that even when they weren't together, even when he wasn't paying attention to it, the flow of magic was maintained. Peter had been right, it was like a muscle that Derek used unconsciously, knowing instinctively what Stiles would need. Truly, most of the time Stiles pulled what he needed and Derek just let it flow, but he knew that, if he needed to, he could pull Stiles back.

 

***

 

Derek was roused gently out of sleep on a bright Saturday morning, blinking sleepily against the sunlight flickering through the blinds. The window was open and the breeze flowed through it, cooling Derek's sleep warmed skin. Awareness swept over him as his cock was engulfed in the hot grasp of Stiles' mouth, a moan slipping from his lips unbidden as Stiles pulled off his cock, tongue flicking the head.

“Stiles,” Derek murmured, still half asleep as Stiles sucked him down again, his answer muffled by his mouthful of cock, the sound reverberating around Derek, making his hips twitch. He slipped his hands under the duvet, flipping it off before burying them in Stiles' hair, losing himself in the sensations as Stiles took him almost all the way down and then pulled almost all the way off. Stiles was a natural at sucking cock, and he'd only gotten better with practice.

Derek's eyes were fixed on where his cock was disappearing into Stiles' mouth again and again, his slick, red lips wrapped around the base as Stiles lifted his eyes, meeting Derek's heated gaze.

“God,” Derek breathed, lust surging through him as Stiles swallowed around him, moaning as his eyes drifted shut, looking blissed out and filthy, his roughened lips stretched wide around the base of Derek's cock, a flush high on his cheeks. He pulled back again, tonguing at the head and then sucking gently before taking it all the way in, deep throating Derek with ease, opening himself up to take in everything. Derek gasped and tugged at Stiles' hair, unable to keep from jerking his hips, but Stiles just moaned and pressed down further, his nose brushing against the coarse hair at the base.

“Gonna come,” Derek bit out, trying to pull Stiles up, torn between coming down his throat or all over his face, a kink that had taken him by surprise the first time it had happened. He'd never been into it in any other context, but seeing his come all over Stiles' lips, his upturned nose, and thick lashes, smelling how well his scent melded with Stiles', it had set him on fire, lust and love and wolfish possessiveness coalescing into a sense of utter belonging.

Stiles hummed, bobbing up and down a few more times as the pleasure rose through Derek's body, lifting him up further and further with every stroke. His fingers clenched in Stiles' hair and Stiles moaned again, loving the pain and pleasure of it, his desire and contentment alive and pulsing through the bond.

The orgasm overtook Derek on the next downstroke, his muscles clenching as he came in hot, aching pulses down Stiles' throat, his head thrown back as his body shook with the force of it. He could feel Stiles' peak in the bond, lifting his head enough to see Stiles' eyes roll back as he shuddered and came, lips still stretched wide around Derek's shaft.

“Fuck, Stiles,” Derek whispered, brushing gentle fingers through the hair he had just been pulling, his body shivering with the aftershocks of his climax, every tiny burst of pleasure pulled from him, his cock still buried in Stiles' throat.

“Come up here, I want to kiss you,” he said, and Stiles complied, lifting himself up and off, laving his wet tongue up the shaft and around the head before crawling up the bed to collapse onto Derek's chest. They kissed slowly, lips and tongues pressing and tangling as they floated in warmth and comfort, content to stay in the moment forever, just the two of them and the bond that connected them.

 

***

 

It was almost lunch time before Derek and Stiles pulled themselves out of their room, both still feeling floaty and completely sated. The shared lunch with the pack before heading out, piling into the Expedition with water bottles and sunglasses, planning to spend the afternoon hiking the Preserve as they often did on the weekends, much to Stiles' chagrin. Despite working every day in the Preserve, Derek still felt the urge to get out into nature, so he often took Stiles to one of the more popular hiking trails not far from the Hale property line, a trail which was quickly becoming their favourite. Stiles liked it because it wasn't too long or difficult, and as his favourite sport was teasing Derek, it didn't hamper his ability to do that.

More than one hike had been interrupted with a quick fuck against a tree, or a blowjob behind a well placed bush. This particular day seemed to be heading in that direction, so Derek was pleased to see that there were only a few other cars in the parking lot. He kissed Stiles as he undid his seatbelt, then pushed him at the door, grinning brightly at Stiles as he all but fell out of the car, laughing.

“I don't think I'd ever hiked this trail before you started dragging me out here,” Stiles said as he took in their surroundings.

“How many of the trails had you actually hiked?” Derek asked, well aware that Stiles could never be considered outdoorsy by any stretch of anyone's imagination, though he somehow managed to stay reasonably fit.

“I've done a fair few...okay, two.” Stiles laughed, taking Derek's hand and tugging him out onto the trail. “Fine, one and a bit of the other, but that wasn't exactly voluntary, either. It was only because Scott decided, completely out of the blue, to get fit. Which was fine for him, but why he felt the need to involve me, I have no idea. He knows that my idea of exercise is a few rousing games of Heroes of the Storm.”

Derek shook his head, fondness for his bond mate filling his chest with warmth. “When does Scott get back?” he asked Stiles as they headed into the forest. “I'm looking forward to meeting him.”

“He wants to meet you, too,” Stiles said. “He's not totally sold on the bond mate thing, I think, because he hasn't been here to see it, but he'll come around. He'll be back early next week.”

“He's pretty protective of you,” Derek stated, earning a nod and a kiss on the hand from Stiles.

“We're protective of each other,” Stiles replied. “He's pretty asthmatic, so I make sure to keep an eye on him, and I always have a spare puffer, just in case. And I have a tendency to run my mouth...”

“No, really?” Derek interrupted, laughing at Stiles' ineffectual glare.

“So Scott has developed a keen awareness of when I'm about to get myself into deep shit, and pulls me out before I manage it. Most of the time. Fortunately, he's also a pretty smooth talker, all earnestness and puppy dog eyes, so he's pretty good at getting me out of trouble.”

“He sounds like a good friend to have,” Derek said quietly. He'd never made friends easily, but with a huge pack of people at home, he'd never really tried very hard. There had always been someone to talk to or going running with, and the people he went to high school with had been somewhat wary of his werewolf status, so he left well enough alone. He didn't need much in the way of companionship at any rate, preferring to be alone more often than not. He had made a few friends during college, but nothing deep. Nothing that had lasted beyond graduation. He didn't regret it. Pack and Stiles was all he needed.

He knew Stiles was different, though, he was extroverted and outgoing, always bright and loud and the center of attention. He had been surprised to learn that Stiles really had only one good friend, although he was friendly with a great many people. Stiles was just odd enough that most of his peers didn't get him and didn't like him, but apparently, in the six years that Derek had been gone, he'd found himself a true friend. Derek was grateful to hear he'd found someone like Scott. Stiles deserved people who could see how amazing he was.

“He's my brother from another mother,” Stiles said with a grin, laughing as Derek grimaced at the cliche. Stiles pulled out his favourite cliches sparingly for best effect, and was forever pleased with the responses he got.

“You're such a cheeseball,” Derek said with a chuckle, having learned that the best way to deal with Stiles' ridiculousness was to be equally as ridiculous in return.

“Hey, I'm your cheeseball,” Stiles said, spinning around to walk backwards in front of Derek, laughing as Derek caught him up into his arms, kissing him soundly before putting him down and continuing their walk.

As they went down a gentle slope towards a curve in the path, Derek could hear a pair of heartbeats ahead of them, around the bend. He was surprised there weren't more people out on the trail on such a beautiful day, but he wasn't about to complain. They walked around the bend and Derek spotted a tall woman facing away from them, dark hair spilling down her back. He listened carefully, still making out two heartbeats, wondering if the woman was waiting for a friend who had slipped into the bush.

“Hey, are you looking for someone?” Derek asked as they approached. The woman turned around and in that split second Derek felt a twinge of recognition, but then she lifted her hand and blew a fine purple powder into his face.

He gasped, inhaling the powdered wolfsbane, his skin and eyes burning as it coated him. The pain was tremendous and his eyesight went blurry as he stumbled, holding himself upright only by his grip on Stiles' arm. He felt rather than heard Stiles shout his name in alarm, so he turned his head, catching a quick, blurry glance of Stiles' horrified face as he felt himself slipping to the ground.

He landed hard on his side, rolling onto his back, still lucid enough to make out the smug look on the woman's face, the same woman he had seen with Paige in the mall, the same cold, dark eyes. His gaze flicked back to Stiles as he knelt down, shouting at the woman smirking down at them. While Derek couldn't make out the words, Stiles' fury was clear. Derek could feel the magic surging inside him as Stiles pulled at it in retaliation, but his eyes caught Paige behind Stiles, a billy club clutched in her hand.

He tried to call out, pushing his fear through the bond, trying desperately to warn Stiles, but the wolfsbane had rendered him useless and unconsciousness was fast approaching. As he felt himself slip away, his last sight was of Paige hitting Stiles hard on the back of the head, knocking him out. Derek felt Stiles' boneless form land on top of him as darkness overtook him.

 

***

 

Derek came slowly back to consciousness, healed enough to wake up, but only barely. His throat burned with each breath that he took and he was immobile, arms and legs either tied or unable to function. He tried to blink but his eyes felt like they were on fire, tears seeping out as they tried to rid him of the wolfsbane powder. He could tell much of it was still there, keeping him from healing while continuing to burn him up.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and then reached out with his still functioning senses, taking stock. He was tied in a chair, his wrists, shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles all secured, his head lolling backwards against the high chair back. He felt heavy, suppressed, as if there was something more than the ropes holding him down, keeping the wolf at bay.

He could hear three other heartbeats in the room, and one immediately stood out to him, recognizable anywhere. Stiles. He was clearly unconscious still, the certainty leaving a cold knot of dread in Derek's stomach. There was nothing coming through the bond except Stiles' presence, no emotions to speak of. It was an eerie sensation, Derek wasn't used to the lack of Stiles in his head, he usually slept longer than Stiles and even when he was asleep, Stiles' mind was a riot of thoughts, ideas and emotions.

Now, there was nothing. He focused in on Stiles' heartbeat, somewhere to his right, and singled out his breathing as well, relieved to find that both those vitals were strong and regular.

That taken care of, he reached out again to pinpoint where the other heartbeats were, determining that they were a few feet away, the third point of a triangle, he and Stiles making the first two. He couldn't hear anything else, wondering idly if the dark haired woman had cast a spell to muffle their speech. She was undoubtedly a magic user of some sort, the way she had handled the wolfsbane wasn't common knowledge, reserved mostly for emissaries and druids, those close to a pack. But if she was an emissary, Derek had no idea what she was doing there, or why she'd attacked him and Stiles.

He tried to open his eyes again, the burn still there but less, the tears that continued to fill his eyes were doing their job, however slowly. He looked warily from under heavy lids, the water in his eyes blurring his vision, but he could see two women standing by a table not too far away, in front of a wall of...Derek couldn't really tell, but it looked like the boxes in a post office or...a bank. He cast a glance around, careful not to move to much, and saw that both the walls he could see were covered in the rows of doors, no doubt the doors to security deposit boxes. To his left and directly across from Stiles was a large, round door, fully closed. They were in an abandoned bank vault.

He tried to think, to remember if he knew where they might be, but his thoughts kept slipping away. He gave it up, knowing that it could wait, that there were other things more pertinent. He turned his focus to the women, the dark haired one was standing with her arms crossed, looking stern in the face of Paige's frantic gesturing.

Paige. Derek felt a twisted ball of rage fill him up, the memory of her clubbing Stiles over the back of the head filling his mind. The regret he'd carried after hurting her faded into insignificance, he was suddenly glad that he'd dodged that bullet. If she was capable of something like this...whatever it is, then he was better off rid of her.

He turned his head slightly, searching in the direction of Stiles' heartbeat. His chest clenched at the sight of him, not seated as Derek was but instead strung up from wall to wall, chained, his arms outstretched in a parody of the crucifixion, his head hanging down onto his chest. Derek wanted to call out to him, to see in his eyes that he was okay, but he didn't want to bring the fact that he was awake to the attention of the women. So he continued to watch, noting the slow, even rising of Stiles' chest, his breath a bit laboured but not dangerously so. His heartbeat was still steady, it seemed that they hadn't hurt him other than when Paige had knocked him out.

He couldn't say the same for himself. The ropes binding his arms and legs were undoubtedly infused with wolfsbane, leaving Derek weak and unable to move. It was burning into him through his skin and clothing wherever the rope touched, and the skin around his wrists was broken and bleeding sluggishly. The pain was incredible, his eyes and throat still burning as well.

Just as he'd taken a deep, slow breath, preparing an attempt to wrench himself out of the ropes, he heard footsteps approaching, followed by a scoff before a rough hand was grabbing his hair, tugging his head forward.

“Are you sure you want him? He's handsome enough, I'll give him that, but he's used up,” said a voice he didn't recognize, clearly it was the strange woman. He knew immediately that it was Paige responding.

“Of course I do, that's why I helped you, remember?” she said, and Derek heard a scuffle as the hand grasping his hair was pulled away, letting his head slump back once more. “That slutty little boy thought he could steal my man, but he was wrong. Derek is mine.”

“He left you once, he'll probably try to do it again,” the other woman said disdainfully, the sneer in her voice no doubt matched by one on her face. Some things Derek didn't need working eyes to see.

“Not if you keep up your part of the bargain,” Paige responded, her hand brushing the sweaty hair back from Derek's face. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of her hands on him, his mind spinning, wondering exactly what the point of all this was. Could it be petty enough to be simply a plot for Paige to get Derek back?

Derek's attention was pulled away when he heard a groan from Stiles, hearing his heartbeat pick up as he came back to consciousness, feeling his fear and pain through the bond as he realized his position.

“Der'k,” he slurred, lifting his head, eyes cracking open to look around. Derek pushed his love and hope through the bond, hearing and feeling Stiles' breathing ease as he got the message.

“Good, you're awake,” the dark haired woman said, moving to stand in front of Stiles. Derek opened his eyes, realising that the time for faking unconsciousness had passed.

“Derek's awake, too,” Paige said, brushing her fingers across his cheek. This time he couldn't hold back the shudder when her fingers slipped into his hair.

“Don't touch me,” he choked out, jerking his head to the side.

“There was a time you liked it when I touched you, Derek,” Paige said wistfully. “And you will again.”

“Enough,” the other woman said. “There will be time for that later.”

“What are you doing?” Stiles asked, his eyes bright again and searching out Derek's from across the room. “Who are you?”

“Does it matter who I am?” the woman asked, walking to the table and picking something up before walking back to where Stiles was hanging. “What does matter is what I'm doing, but I'll fill you in anyway, so you'll know who has beaten you. You, a Spark, apparently a powerful Spark, that's what the rumours say. Not so powerful if you were taken so easily.”

“Taryn said he's the most powerful in a generation,” Paige said from beside Derek. “Are you sure you can break the bond?”

“Of course I can break the bond, but that's not what we're trying to do, remember?”

“What are you trying to do, then?” Stiles asked, glaring at the woman. “And what makes you think you can do it? I'm a Spark, remember?”

The woman laughed, the sounds grating on Derek's nerves, a growl rising from him as she reached out and pressed the baton in her hand against Stiles' cheek.

“Yes, but now you're a Spark restrained by mountain ash, wolfsbane, and iron, so I think you'll find your magic is beyond your reach. Bonded to a wolf as you are, the mountain ash and wolfsbane, combined with the iron, will affect you almost as much as it's affecting him. He's restrained by wolfsbane and mountain ash as well, and the hecatolite in the walls of the vault will prevent him from shifting. There will be no claws or fangs to come to your rescue, little spark.”

Derek could feel panic beginning to set in as Stiles reached for the magic, pulling to no avail, the conduit cut off. He could feel the magic trying to respond, but it couldn't reach Stiles, circling through Derek ineffectively.

“By now you've realized that your magic is cut off from you,” the woman said, victory in her tone. “And soon, it'll be gone altogether. It'll be mine. You can rest assured that I'll put it to much better use than you would.”

“You're the darach,” Stiles said, shocked.

“Darach?” Derek asked. The word was unfamiliar to him.

“That's what Mom called it when a druid took to dark magic. She's the one who's been poisoning the Nemeton, trying to drain it of magic.” Derek knew immediately that Stiles was right, the woman had a darkness about her, something deep and evil. Derek remembered the cold stare he'd seen that day in the mall and shuddered.

“Oh, I wasn't trying, hun, I was succeeding,” she said with a twisted grin. “I've done it before, many times. A bit of blood under the bark, just enough to weaken it, and then you pull at it, drawing the magic out gradually, until the flow comes without any resistance. It takes a few months, but it's worth it. I've learned over the years that if you sacrifice a few virgins and let their blood soak in, it happens even faster. I was just about to start, I'd already chosen a few pathetic virgins to offer up when I came up with an even better plan.” Her voice was light and casual, as if she was amused by the situation, as if the poisoning of the Nemeton was just a game to her and killing people to quicken the process was just the moving of a chess piece. It made Derek sick to his stomach.

“You're sick,” Stiles spat, pulling at the magic again.

“Why?” Derek asked, turning her attention to him. “Why would you do that? The Nemeton supports and protects the whole Preserve, the town, reaching out even further, through the whole coast.”

“Why wouldn't I?” she asked, sneering as she strode up to him and pushed the baton into his chest, the cold metal tips chilling him through his shirt. “I was an emissary once, in love with the most beautiful alpha you could have imagined, and she loved me back! We were going to do amazing things before _he_ came along, stealing her from me. She cast me aside and bound herself to him, the ungrateful slut! I was the best thing she ever had, and she regretted the day she tore me away from her, from the pack. I made sure of that.”

“What did you do?” Derek asked softly, knowing that tortured, twisted people liked to talk about how victimized they were, knowing that if he and Stiles had a chance, they would need the time to make it happen.

“I tore them apart, the way they tore apart my heart and soul. I shredded them with my magic, the pair of them, and then I destroyed the pack that had helped them betray me.”

“They deserved it,” Paige said, drawing Derek's eye. He was stunned by the look of anger and hatred on her face, a look that was directed at Stiles. “They stole your love away and they deserved it. He deserves it, too.”

“And we'll tear him apart as well, don't you worry,” the woman told Paige, her eyes filled with a cold brightness, a look that filled Derek's chest with aching fear.

“I know you will,” Paige said with a weak smile. “I trust you, Julia.”

“Julia?” Stiles said. “That's your name?”

“Yes, you should have heard of me,” Julia said. “I've been around for a very long time, it was almost seventy five years ago when my mate, my pack betrayed me. But then, you haven't had the chance, because I've been very careful to stay under the radar. It's the people who go unnoticed who are able to finish their tasks.”

“And what task is that?” Stiles asked, meeting Derek's eyes over her shoulder.

“Oh, immortality, of course,” Julia said, a perverse grin splitting her face. “I swore when I tore them apart, when I was left alone and broken that I would live forever, that I would strip pack after pack of their magical protection until they all fall into dust, all the bonds they've stolen shattered. It's a long, slow process but I am committed to it. One more pack down, and the Hale pack, too! What a triumph.”

“So you've been destroying Nemetons for a long time,” Stiles commented, his voice casual even as Derek could feel him continuing to pull at the magic. “Is that why you look so young? Got a Mother Gothel thing going on, have you?”

Julia laughed loud and sharp, her precarious mental state becoming more obvious. “Yes, call it that, if you must. I take in the magic and use it to maintain my looks, wouldn't you? Looks as striking as mine can open a lot of doors.”

“So why did you stop? The Nemeton is healing, you've not poisoned it for weeks. Why?”

“Why would I bother with a Nemeton when I could have a Spark?” Julia exclaimed, laughing again, walking back to Stiles and cupping his cheek with one hand. “Here I was, preparing the threefold death for a couple of innocent idiots when I hear that there was a new Spark on the scene, in the very town I was working in. I didn't even have to come looking for you! Draining a Nemeton would only last me a few years, but a Spark, that's different. When I kill you and strip you of your spark, your power will become mine, it will never fade back into the earth. It will always be mine.”

She was petting Stiles now, running her fingers through his hair with a perverse desire on her face, not seeing Stiles at all. She only wanted the magic, the Spark that ran through him, that made him who he was. Derek could feel the rage building inside him with every touch of her fingers on his mate. A growl started low in his chest and erupted into a howl, the anger, desperation, and fear he felt bursting out of him.

“Get your hands off him!” he snapped, his wolf clawing to reach the surface but his blunt, human fingertips scratched uselessly at the arms of the chair he was tied to.

“Ah yes, the wolf,” Julia said, turning back to Derek with a smirk. “Honestly, you are a complication I had not planned on. I was thinking of just killing you and taking the Spark, but when I overheard the sad, tragic tale that Paige had to tell, of how the love of her life had abandoned her for a sick little wolf chasing boy slut, and I just had to help her.”

Derek roared again, pulling at his bonds with all the strength he could muster, determined to get himself free so he could silence her, end her before she could hurt Stiles, keep her from hurting anyone else.

She lashed out with the baton again but this time electricity crackled through it, lacing through Derek's body in a parody of fire that was far removed from how the magic felt, setting every nerve alive with wracking pain instead of bliss and belonging.

“Stop, stop it!” Stiles screamed at her, struggling against his bonds, pulling at the magic, still unable to access it. “Please, don't hurt him.”

“Oh, he'll be fine,” Julia cooed, dragging the metal prongs across Derek's collarbones and up his jaw, the threat of the electricity implicit in the act. “I promised him to Paige, after all. Once I separate you, he'll be hers, as he should be.”

“Just...please, just leave him alone,” Stiles pleaded, trying to get Julia's attention back on him and away from Derek. Derek could only watch, his body still wracked with aftershocks of electricity, Stiles' fear and love clear in the bond.

“For now,” she said, dropping the baton on the table once more, then turning to Stiles, her face grim. “It's time.”

“For what?” Stiles said, his eyes wide with fear and apprehension. “What are you going to do, exactly?”

“Oh, I'm going to kill you and steal your magic, of course,” Julia said casually, as if killing people was an every day occurrence for her. Derek figured that maybe it was, as his stomach roiled with repulsion and terror.

“Paige,” he whispered. “Please, don't let her do this. He hasn't done anything, it's not right, please. If you ever loved me you won't let this happen.”

“He does deserve it,” Paige hissed, her face twisted in an expression Derek had never seen before. He used to find her beautiful, but that time had long since passed. All he saw now was ugliness and hatred. “He stole you from me, and I won't stand for it. Julia will fix it, just wait and see. It'll be better, Derek. You won't have to touch him again, you won't have to be with him. You'll be free. We'll be free together.”

“No, I won't,” Derek replied, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was beyond the reach of logic. The trap was closing around him again, the desperation pressing in on him. “I'll be lost. I'm sorry about how it happened, but you and me...it wasn't right. He's my soul mate, Paige, I love him. I'll die without him. Nothing you can do will ever change that.”

“Oh yes, it will,” Julia cut in. “I'll drain him of his magic, and when he dies we'll transfer the bond to Paige. It's a bit risky, I admit. If it doesn't work you'll die too, but if it works, Paige will have you bound to her for the rest of your life.”

“No,” Derek breathed, horrified.

“No!” Stiles yelled, pulling at the bonds again. “No, leave him alone! You can't have him!”

“Enough!” Julia screamed, slamming her hand down on the table. “It's time to start.”

She strode toward Stiles, lifting her hands and closing her eyes, murmuring words in a language that Derek had never heard before. He watched helpless as her magic reached out to Stiles, tendrils attaching themselves to him. Hopeless tears slid down Derek's face as he felt the pain tear through Stiles, his body seizing. He could feel the tug inside him, a sick, pain-filled echo of the tug that had drawn him to Stiles, a shredding tear forming as Julia attempted to tear Stiles' Spark from him.

“Stiles!” he screamed, pulling at his bonds again, fuelled by adrenaline as he watched his love in agony, the bonds loosening a bit, not enough, not nearly fast enough. He'd never get to Stiles in time.

Through the agony, he could feel Stiles pulling at the magic still trying to grasp any part of it, and Derek knew it was their only chance. He realised that the training had worked too well, he'd not even thought about actively helping when Stiles had pulled at the magic before, so used to it flowing instinctively through him.

This time, when Stiles reached out and pulled, Derek answered with a push, opening the gates as wide as he could, using all his strength and training to push the magic to Stiles.

The tendrils faded, slipping back towards Julia, leaving Stiles weak, hanging limply from his restraints, his chest heaving in time with Derek's.

“Stop resisting!” Julia screamed, stepping closer and reaching out to grasp Stiles' face, squeezing with her hands while murmuring her spell, her inky magic surrounding him again, obscuring his face from Derek's view. The pull came again and Derek pushed again, harder, gasping for breath as the magic roared into Stiles, this time pushing Julia back bodily, thrusting her and the magic away from him.

Stiles moaned with the effort, sagging, unable to support himself. Derek howled again, pulling and tugging at the bonds constantly, pulling them looser and looser, ignoring the pain and fresh blood spilling from where the ropes touched his skin.

“No!” Julia shrieked as she approached Stiles again, fury contorting her features, her glamour slipping to reveal her bitter, aged face. “Oh, you're strong, but that will just make it so much better when that power is mine! Paige, use the taser on the wolf if he tries to free himself again,” she hissed, pointing at Derek. She turned, grabbing Stiles by the face once more, chanting loud and clear now, the magic seeping from her like a cloud that covered both her and Stiles.

Derek roared, pulling harder at the bonds, despite Paige's pleas that he stay still, that he let it happen so they could be together. She was the gnat buzzing around him, a distraction he tuned out as he focused on Stiles through the bond, his adrenaline fulled by Stiles' adrenaline, feeding off each other until it rose to a peak. He didn't stop trying to free himself, didn't stop snarling and roaring his rage and helplessness, until he felt the press of electricity coursing through him.

Paige was pleading with him to be still, that she didn't want to hurt him but Derek ignored her completely, taking a few deep breaths when she pulled the taser away. When Stiles pulled at the magic again, Derek was ready, a howl bursting out of him unbidden.

Paige was tasing him again, but instead of giving in to the pain, he drew on it, using the power of it to push further. He pushed with everything he had, all his strength and love and desperation, all of Stiles' power that surged through him and the magic that bound them. He imagined the magic of the Nemeton, deep and seemingly endless, pulsing brightly as Stiles called on it. He thought of how they were together, of the love and the devotion, the intimacy and the sexual energy, the pack bonds and their history, their connection. He pulled on it all, dredging up every ounce of strength he had to push the magic at Stiles.

It felt like a back draft, as if all the air and magic had been sucked out of the room and into Stiles. For the beat of a few heartbeats it was still, silent as if time itself had been frozen.

The blast was incredible when it came, blowing Julia off of Stiles, throwing her back to crash into the wall behind the table. She fell hard and rolled, blood seeping out of her ears as she lay unconscious on the floor, joined by Paige, who was also knocked backwards into the wall.

Derek stared at them in relief and horror for a bare second before turning to look at Stiles. He was hanging in the restraints, limp and drained, barely hanging onto consciousness, his relief almost imperceptible through the bond.

“Stiles!” Derek called, breathing deep and bracing himself before flexing his arms as hard as he could, pulling at the ropes around his wrists, uncaring as the blood poured down anew. He could feel them loosening, the straps giving way under the constant force, bit by bit. He pushed until his endurance was sapped, sagging back into the chair to catch his breath for another try.

Being unable to tap into his wolf was a handicap that left his feeling weak. He was so used to pulling on the wolf at the slightest provocation, reaching out with supernatural strength to accomplish his goal. Not being able to was alarming.

He roared, letting the release fuel his strength, pulling desperately, fearing that one of the women would rouse before he could get to Stiles. The restraints slackened further, finally snapping under the sheer force Derek applied to them.

He twisted and pulled at the rope around his shoulders, unable to use his claws to slice through it, the wolf still suppressed. He wrenched on it, lifting it up bit by bit until finally he threw himself out of the chair, ending up on his knees on the floor, the chair pressing against him, still tied at the ankles and knees.

“Stiles!” he called, manic with the need to get to him. Laying on his side, Derek pulled at the ropes securing his knees, tugging at the knots, wishing desperately that he could shift, knowing his claws would make it so much easier. Finally the ropes began to fall free, each one easier than the last, the effect of the wolfsbane imprisonment deteriorating with every rope he pulled from his body and tossed aside, giving him shreds of strength if not the ability to shift.

Stumbling to his feet was difficult, his legs stiff as his healing was hampered but he managed, noting the disrupted mountain ash line for the first time as he stumbled over it, grateful that Stiles' magical blast had taken that out as well.

“Stiles,” he breathed, gathering the boy up in this arms, holding him tight and breathing him in for a moment, barely able to believe that they were both still alive.

“D'rk,” Stiles mumbled, his head lolling back, his body so drained that he was only just holding on to consciousness.

“I'm here, shhh, it's okay,” Derek soothed, slipping a hand up Stiles' back into his hair, pulling his cheek against his own. “It's gonna be okay, magic boy,” he said with a relieved smile. “You saved us.”

Derek let go of Stiles' head after propping it on his shoulder, reaching out to grasp the chain that was wrapped around Stiles' right wrist, heedless to the burning of his palms as the chain became slick with his blood. The chain was iron infused with wolfsbane, a suppressant to magic and lycanthropy, but Derek was beyond caring about the state of his hands. He knew that he was covering Stiles with his blood, but he didn't care about that either. It was not the time for details.

The chain was well secured in the wall, but Derek growled and dug deep, pulling it out quickly before switching hands and reaching for the other, finally sinking to the floor with Stiles in his arms.

“Had t' save you,” Stiles mumbled, his eyes opening enough to catch Derek's. He was only just awake, but his eyes were filled with the love Derek could feel through the bond.

“Can't live without you, wolf man,” Stiles continued, his voice a whisper. “An' I couldn't leave you to her.”

“My hero,” Derek said, earning the quirk of lip from Stiles that he'd been hoping for. “Now let's get you out of these chains.” He sat, pulling Stiles into his chest and bracing him so that he could remove the chains, taking a deep breath and centering himself, anchored in the weight of Stiles in his arms before trying again.

Removing the chains from Stiles' wrist was easier than fighting the ropes, so it wasn't long before Stiles was completely free. Derek wanted to sit there and hold him until he was healed, until Stiles woke up and smiled at him in the bright, brilliant way he had, but he knew that would be a mistake.

“Okay Stiles, I need you to sit here while I tie them up,” he said, shifting Stiles to prop him against the wall.

“Don't go,” Stiles breathed, letting his head fall back. Derek leaned in and kissed him quickly, fighting the urge to sink into Stiles and hide from the world, grateful to just have his mate in his arms, alive.

“I'm not going anywhere. But if they wake up we could have another fight on our hands, and I don't think you could do it again. And I need to call your Dad and my Mom.”

“M'kay,” Stiles agreed, slumping against the wall but letting go of Derek. He moved quickly, going to Paige first, hoping she was still alive but hating her at the same time. He was relieved to find her alive, but he wasn't terribly gentle as he bound her hands behind her back, leaving her on her side on the floor before going to Julia.

He stood over her for a few long moments, unable to dig up any concern for the state she was in. Paige had helped her, yes, but Derek had no doubt that Julia had been the catalyst, the shove that pushed Paige over the edge from heartbreak into madness. She was the one who had tried to kill Stiles, the one who had killed many people if what she'd said was true, and Derek believed it was. She'd had no reason to lie.

He tied her up with twice the rope, wincing as the wolfsbane burned into him again, but determined to secure her. He ripped a piece of fabric from her shirt and gagged her for good measure. For a magic user like her, she would need words, spells, to cast magic and that was the last thing they needed.

He glanced at Stiles to make sure nothing had changed then rushed to the table, hoping to find one of their phones, not wanting to dig through pockets to find a phone.

“Yes!” he said, grabbing his phone and Stiles', opening his first to call his mom, only to learn there was no service. He checked Stiles', and it was the same.

“Fuck!” he yelled, looking back to check on Stiles before taking another look, realising suddenly that the door to the vault was closed, sealing them in and cutting off his wolf, no doubt cutting off the cell signal, too.

Shoving the phones in his pocket, he ran over to the door, whispering a plea that it hadn't been locked with magic or, if it had, that the magic had faded when Julia had been knocked out.

Thankfully, it worked. The door was large, but the wheel that unlatched the mechanism turned smoothly as if it had been freshly oiled. It was only a moment before Derek had the door open, pulling it wide, gasping as the heaviness lifted off him. He raised a hand and popped out his claws, relief washing over him in a wave.

He put it aside and pulled his phone out, relief striking him again when he saw that he had service. He breathed deeply and turned back, picking Stiles up carefully and carrying him out of the vault. It was a bank vault after all, Derek saw a logo with the name Beacon Hills First National. He scoffed at the name, realising that it was a definite clue as to why it had been abandoned.

He put Stiles down carefully and pulled the door shut behind them, wishing there was a way to lock Paige and Julia inside. He sat beside Stiles and pulled him close, dialling his mother with shaking hands.

“Derek!” Talia said, panic in her voice. “Where are you? What's happening?” Derek felt tears welling up at the sound of her voice, grateful beyond words with the certainty that he and Stiles would get out of this alive.

“I'm not sure where it is, but we're in an abandoned bank. Beacon Hills First National.”

Talia passed the information on, and Derek could hear voices and scuffling in the background before she spoke again.

“Are you okay? Is Stiles with you?”

“Yes and yes. We're okay now, but Mom...she, she wanted to kill him,” Derek said, his chest tight, the memory of Julia's hands on Stiles as her magic surrounded him was haunting.

“She...who? No, not now, you're both safe?” Talia asked, but continued before Derek could assure her again that they were both okay. “We're on our way, Derek. I've got you on speaker, John and Claudia are here, and your father. I could feel that something was wrong and I called them. We found your car at the trail head, but there was no sign of you. Not even a scent.”

Derek could make out car doors closing, the Sheriff's voice murmuring orders and directions into a scratchy radio. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, just listening to their heartbeats through the phone.

“She must have covered our scent,” Derek told her. “They took us from the trail, blew wolfsbane in my face and hit Stiles on the head. When I woke up, we were in the bank.”

“That idiotic bank,” Talia scoffed. “They were warned that it would fail and sure enough, it did. Too big for its customer base. Derek, you're out of the vault now, yes?”

“Yes,” he said.

“So you can shift? They made the vault out of hecatolite, hoping it would deter any supernatural thieves. Not a bad idea, but the expense...”

“Yeah, I couldn't shift in there, but we're out now.”

“Derek, tell me about who attacked you. You said she wanted to kill Stiles but then you said they. Who are they?”

“A woman named Julia,” Derek said, swallowing down the bile that threatened to rise at her name. “She's the one who'd been poisoning the Nemeton, Stiles called her something...a dark druid?”

“Darach,” Talia said quietly. Derek could hear her heartbeat pick up. “She's the darach? You're sure.”

“Yes, she admitted it. She said she's done it before, drained Nemetons for their magic, drawing it into herself. That's...she was trying it here, she stole the magic and then killed the pack protecting it, she's been doing it for seventy five years.”

“Shit,” Talia breathed.

“She stopped when she found out about Stiles. She...she said that she could steal his magic permanently, so it was better, she was, shit Mom. She was going to steal his magic and kill him, I...” Derek trailed off, fighting off panic, shifting so he could pull Stiles up into his lap, burying his face into Stiles neck and breathing, anchoring himself on the familiar smell, on the steady beat of Stiles' heartbeat, now slowed in genuine sleep.

“It's okay Derek. You're safe now. We're almost there,” Talia said. “Don't stop talking. Who else was there?”

“Mom, it was Paige.” Talia gasped, but Derek continued.

“She was helping. She, Julia, she promised Paige that after she'd, uh...after she'd kill...shit.” Derek stopped again, unable to continue, his hands shaking so bad he could hardly hold the phone. He pulled it away from his face and turned the speaker on, letting it fall into Stiles' lap and wrapping both his arms around the sleeping boy.

“Derek, you may be going into shock. Are you sitting down?”

“Yes,” Derek said, knowing his mother would be able to hear him even though his voice was muffled in Stiles' neck.

“Good. Just hold tight.”

Derek breathed for a few long moments, the distant sounds of the engine and heartbeats through the phone were a reassurance that they wouldn't be alone for much longer.

“She was going to give me to Paige,” Derek said at last, his voice shaky with an edge of panic. “She was going to bind me to Paige when she killed Stiles, I thought he was...I couldn't stop it, I couldn't do anything.”

“But you did,” Talia told him softly. “You're both alive and you're safe. We'll get you through this.”

“Okay,” Derek agreed, breathing easier. He could hear sirens in the background now, faint but coming closer. “Derek, we're here,” Talia said as the tires screeched and the engine shut off. There was rustling as they left the car, and then voices and footsteps in the bank, moving closer.

His Alpha was coming for him. He looked up as she rounded the corner, his father right behind her, their werewolf speed leaving John and Claudia behind. Suddenly he found himself crying, tears pouring out of him as his shoulders shook, pack and safety giving him the release he'd been waiting for. Stiles was heavy in his arms, alive and breathing steady, and his Alpha was here.

It was over.

 

***

 

If only that had been the end of it. John and Claudia had only been moments behind David and Talia and shortly after they arrived half the Sheriff's department showed up, and then the paramedics. They opened the vault and found both women still unconscious, something that Derek was grateful for. He had no desire to see or hear either of them, ever again.

The paramedics packed Derek and Stiles into an ambulance. Despite their insistence to send them in separate ambulances, they'd had to put them in one as Derek would not let Stiles go. He stood up with his mate in his arms, the phone falling forgotten on the floor and carried him into the ambulance with Claudia and David following.

The next few hours were a blur of doctors and nurses, questions he was in no shape to answer, and people wanting to pull Stiles away from him. He growled more than once, finally unable to hold back the flashing eyes and fangs when an abrasive doctor insisted that he let Stiles go, trying to put them in separate rooms to be checked over. He didn't regret it because it made the doctor leave them alone. Derek did allow them to check Stiles more thoroughly once Claudia brought in a curly haired nurse, a woman she had introduced as Melissa McCall. Scott's mom.

Derek let her examine Stiles, trusting that his best friend's mother would care for him properly, that she would understand why Derek couldn't and wouldn't let him go. It was too soon, the day had come far too close to a different ending for Derek to bear Stiles any further away than right beside him.

Melissa insisted that she check Derek as well, so he complied, reluctantly letting her strip off his tshirt to check the progress of his healing, ignoring the hospital issue gown she tried to give him in favour of slipping into the bed shirtless, settling beside Stiles and pulling him close.

Stiles slept through it all.

“It's natural,” Claudia told him after the hospital staff had finally left them alone, content that their injuries were not life threatening. “The magical power he needed to do what he did Derek, it could have killed you both. He'll sleep for a long time. Days, maybe. There's no way to know.”

“It's too quiet,” Derek replied, his lips brushing Stiles' ear, his heartbeat still solid beneath Derek's hand.

“I know,” she said with a smile, brushing some of Stiles' hair back fondly. “He's got such a presence, you can't help but notice him. He's something, isn't he?”

“He's everything,” Derek said, looking up to meet her eyes. “There's nothing without him.” They shared a look for long, quiet moments, until Derek dropped his head back down, burying his face in Stiles' hair and closing his eyes.

It wasn't long before he was drifting off to sleep, his body and mind completely and utterly drained, Stiles' heartbeat in his ear.

 

***

 

Stiles didn't wake up.

They took him home two days later, after it had been determined that he was in a magically induced coma and that being in the hospital may in fact be hampering his ability to heal. The diagnosis sent a shock of panic through Derek. Talia's hand tight on the back of his neck had been the only thing that kept him from losing it right there.

Melissa explained better than the doctor could, rephrasing what Claudia had said. Stiles had done something that by all accounts should have been impossible and in doing so had drained himself so completely that the coma was the only way he could heal.

“But he'll heal?” Derek asked desperately, his throat tight, his eyes burning with unshed tears. He knew he must look deranged, his eyes red, hair a mess, his clothes rumpled from sleeping, sitting up on the hospital bed with Stiles braced against his chest, still limp.

“Yes, he will,” Claudia answered, smiling fondly at Derek. “His magic is sustaining him now, and it is what will wake him up, when he's ready.”

“Okay,” Derek said, dropping his head to breathe in Stiles' scent, tainted by chemicals and disinfectant as it was. They'd bathed him and dressed him in his own pyjamas, but Derek hated the hospital anyway. “He'll be okay if we take him home, then?”

“He'll be better, I think,” Claudia told him. “Being in his own bed, your bed, with none of the noise and distractions of the hospital can only help.

“Besides, you are very on edge here, Derek, and that has to be affecting him as well. He needs you calm and settled. He may not be awake, but the bond is still working fine, so he'll be able to feel what you're feeling. Being home will help that.”

“Yeah, okay,” Derek agreed, and just like that, he was ready to go. “Let's get him out of this place.”

“You'll have to sign some paperwork, but you should be able to leave within the hour,” Melissa said, nodding at them and disappearing.

She came back no longer than fifteen minutes later, just long enough for Talia and Claudia to have gathered up anything left in the room and for Derek to put on his shoes. He was standing beside the bed when Melissa came back, pushing a wheelchair before her.

“No,” Derek said, shaking his head at her. “I'm not pushing him out of here in one of those. No.”

“Derek,” Melissa began, but Derek cut her off.

“I'll carry him,” he insisted, slipping his arms under Stiles' limp body, lifting him up under the knees and shoulders, kissing his cheek reverently before heading to the door.

“Scott will be home the day after tomorrow,” Melissa told him. “He's worried sick about Stiles. Can I bring him over when he gets back?”

“Stiles would like that,” Derek said softly, giving her a weak smile before heading out the door, leaving the hospital as he'd entered it, with his mate unconscious in his arms.

 

***

 

The next morning, Derek woke up in his own bed, the hospital smell gone. There was nothing but him and Stiles, their bodies sleep warmed and pressed together under the duvet. If he breathed deeply, he could smell the remnants of their last lovemaking session, that morning four days ago before they were taken. It soothed and agitated him all at once. He was home, the scent of pack underlying it all, but the scent of their love was faint, reminding him that Stiles was still asleep.

He stayed asleep, despite being home. Derek had begun to seriously worry about his health, not having eaten or drank anything since the morning they'd left the house and headed out into the Preserve, but Claudia had reassured him often that the magic was sustaining him. She equated his state to a kind of magical stasis, and Derek had no choice but to believe her. She was his mother, after all, and if she said Stiles was fine, then Stiles was fine.

Derek kept that thought foremost in his mind as the days slipped by with no change.

Scott came home and promptly came to visit, his face sober. He was awkward and restrained as he sat beside their bed with a somber look, all but ignoring Derek. He had thanked Scott for coming, but that had been all he'd been able to say to the other boy. Stiles' best friend had gone to his Dad's for the summer and had come home to Stiles bonded to a wolf and in a magically induced coma. It was a bit much, and Scott didn't seem interested in talking to Derek about it. Derek wasn't much for talking either, and without Stiles to fill the space he found he had nothing to say.

He didn't have much to say to anyone. The only person he wanted to talk to wasn't talking back, and that took all the fun out of it.

Three days after they had arrived home, a week after they'd been taken, Derek woke up wrapped around Stiles as he always did, his chest pressed against Stiles back, his cock hard against the curve of Stiles' ass as it nestled against Derek's groin.

He moaned softly, pressing forward, his erection aching, having been neglected for so long. In the hospital the surroundings had kept him soft but since they'd been home Derek was having a hard time keeping it under control. Stiles' unresponsiveness was a bit of a turn off, especially during the day, but when they were pressed together under the covers, when Derek was still half asleep, it felt so right, so real, and Derek didn't want to hold back anymore, missing Stiles with everything he had, needing to see his eyes, his smile, to hear his voice, deep and rough from sleep as he encouraged Derek to rut against him.

Derek let himself imagine that Stiles was speaking to him, urging him on as he so often had, begging to have Derek inside him. Derek remembered well what Stiles had said their first morning together. He remembered the heat in his eyes, the eagerness in his voice when he talked about Derek taking him while he was asleep, waking him up already buried deep. He groaned, clutching Stiles' hip with his clawed hand, trying to stave off his orgasm just thinking about it.

He pulled back, looking up at the ceiling and breathing hard, letting the smell of Stiles and of them together wash over him. He felt restless and itchy, missing Stiles with a physical ache, desperate to see his eyes and hear his voice, needing to be inside him. He was going mad without Stiles. His body may be there but his personality, who he was, all the things about him that Derek loved were missing. Something had to give, and there was only one thing he could give Stiles like this.

Decision made, Derek rolled back and dug the lube out of the bedside table, turning back to Stiles and taking him in, the long line of his back and neck stretched out on the bed beside Derek. He let out a shuddery breath, putting the lube aside and pulled his shirt off before slipping out of his sleep pants.

Undressing Stiles was simple and difficult, the motions smooth and easy, but Derek's heart broke that he had to do it. He longed for Stiles the way he had been, straddling Derek's legs and pulling his shirt off in one smooth motion, his long limbs sometimes tangling with the material, making Derek laugh with the glee of being able to laugh during sex, being able to enjoy each other fully, completely at ease.

He pulled Stiles' boxers down, his cock twitching at the sight of his bare ass, skin soft with a light dusting of hairs. He rolled Stiles onto his belly, stretching his arms above his head in the way that Derek knew he liked, letting his own hands trail shamelessly across Stiles' pale skin. He'd missed this as well, the casual way Stiles liked to be touched, anywhere, all the time, no matter the context. Stiles loved it when Derek touched him, so Derek touched him all over.

He slid a hand into Stiles' hair, leaning forward to kiss his ear, his cheek, dropping further to lave across the stretch of his neck before biting down and sucking blood to the surface. He was pleased to see the hickey he left behind, realising in that moment that he had missed the sight of his marks on Stiles and determined to change that.

He sucked another hickey onto Stiles' neck at the base, letting the richness of Stiles' essence wash over him, settling his groin into the curve of Stiles' ass, pressing himself into Stiles, gasping at the friction as he rubbed himself through Stiles' cleft, across his hole.

Holding back the urge to rut, the need to be inside his lover, Derek pulled back and off Stiles. He pulled Stiles' cheeks apart, gasping at the clean musky scent that rose from between them, letting his head drop onto the rise of Stiles' ass to just breathe for a moment before moving closer, licking a stripe from under Stiles' balls to the top of his crack, moaning with the pleasure of it.

He did it again and again, his mouth watering, wetting Stiles' relaxed hole with his saliva before pushing in. He dipped inside with his tongue, loosening Stiles with ease, his slumbering body unresistant. By the time he was satisfied, Stiles' hole was wet and pink, opening up as Derek pulled his cheeks apart further. Derek's cock twitched at the sight, dribbling precome from the tip and he stared down at the opening.

He closed his eyes and prayed for strength, grabbing the lube and squirting some out before pulling one cheek aside, tracing the fingers of his other hand up and down across the furl of Stiles' hole before pressing in with two. They slid in easily so he pressed further, his heart racing as Stiles twitched, clenching down minutely on Derek's fingers.

He was encouraged by the first real sign of life he'd seen from Stiles in days and kept going, slipping a third finger in and feeling around for Stiles' prostate, pressing repeatedly against it, buoyed by how Stiles' body twitched with each press.

His cock was leaking steadily, so he pulled his fingers out grudgingly, a grudge that he completely forgot once he'd slicked himself up, pulling Stiles apart once more, seeing his hole looser, redder, wetter; ready for Derek's cock.

He shuddered, overcome with anticipation, pushing open Stiles' legs and slipping between them for the first time in a week. He separated Stiles' cheeks and let the head of his cock rest briefly against the gaping whorl that waited for him before pressing inside effortlessly and sinking down, down, until his hips and balls were flush against Stiles' ass.

“Stiles, god,” he whispered, wishing with every part of his soul that Stiles would moan back, pressing his ass into Derek, clenching around Derek's cock. He didn't, but Derek pulled back anyway, pushing in again, setting a steady rhythm that had his orgasm rising much too soon, pressing against the edges of his concentration.

“Come on,” Derek said, his thrusts speeding up as his hand slid across the expanse of Stiles' back, coming to rest on Stiles' shoulder blades, holding him down in the way he knew Stiles loved, pulling Stiles hips up into his thrusts with the other hand.

He couldn't hold back the gasps and moans as his pleasure rose, breaking out with a suddenness that left Derek short of breath. It spread from the base of his cock where his knot was growing fast, making each thrust harder as he pushed it in and out until he couldn’t anymore. He sank into Stiles' hot body and stayed, the last few surges of his orgasm leaving him shaking, his arms weak as he held himself above Stiles until he couldn't, slipping down to press into Stiles, breathing in the aftermath.

His knot was well buried, harder than Derek could remember it being for a while, aftershocks of sensation leaving him a sweaty, shuddering mess as he wrapped his arms around Stiles and pulled him to the side once more, the knot keeping them connected. He laid there breathing heavily with Stiles in his arms, still buried inside, one of his legs between Stiles', trying to be as close as he could.

He buried his face into Stiles' hair and closed his eyes against unbidden tears, not wanting to face another day without him.

“So what's a guy gotta do to get a hand job around here?”

Derek's head shot up so fast he pulled a muscle in his neck but the sharp twinge of pain was forgotten in an instant when he looked down to see Stiles' beautiful brown eyes staring up at him, dancing with mischief.

“Stiles,” he breathed, frozen with disbelief, afraid that he was dreaming.

“Come on, Derek,” Stiles pleaded, reaching for Derek's hand and pulling him to where Stiles' erection strained against his belly. He pressed back, clenching himself on the knot and pulling a ragged moan from Derek's lips. “Don't make me do it alone.”

“You're awake,” Derek said, but he let Stiles direct his hand, gripping Stiles' shaft tightly, immediately falling into a quick rhythm. He wrapped his other hand around Stiles' chest, feeling the rabbit fast beat of his heart and the heaving breaths, so different from the quiet stillness that had surrounded him for so many days.

“Yeah, you...oh god, Derek, hmmm...you fucked me awake, it was amazing.” Stiles reached back and grabbed Derek's hair, pulling his head forward, twisting for an open mouthed kiss, filthy and deep as Derek continued to jerk him off. “It was just as perfect as I thought it would be,” he panted, squeezing on Derek's knot as his orgasm approached. “We are so doing that again.”

“Anything, Stiles, I'll do anything,” he agreed, kissing and sucking at Stiles' neck between words. “I'll fuck you awake every morning if you promise you'll wake up for me.”

“Yeah, yes, that's so good, Der...” Stiles trailed off, his words falling into grunts and groans as his body tightened and he came. He was so hot and tight around Derek's knot, pulsing around his cock, the realness of his presence, his awareness, his emotions and sensations alive in the bond, all of it crashing down on Derek as a sudden, second orgasm overtook him.

The air tingled with Stiles' magic becoming tangible around them as it had on that first night. Derek buried his face in Stiles' neck, unable to keep the tears of relief and gratitude from slipping out, his shoulders shaking with the strength of it.

“Ooooh, that was so good,” Stiles said, panting, his body boneless in the aftermath. It was something that Derek had loved before the coma, something he could love again, now that Stiles was bright and loud in his mind, still wrapped tight around him.

They laid together for awhile, Derek just soaking up the immediacy of Stiles, a direct contrast to the previous days. His knot went down, allowing him to slip out of Stiles, rolling him onto his back so Derek could take his lips in a soft kiss, losing himself in the feeling of being together once more.

“You're crying,” Stiles whispered, his fingers tracing the tears across Derek's cheeks and into his beard.

“I'm just so happy and...relieved, I can hardly believe you're awake,” Derek told him, resting their heads together, smiling through the tears.

“I don't underst...Derek, what do you mean?” Stiles' brow was furrowed, confusing painting his features.

“Stiles, you...what's the last thing you remember?”

“Waking up with you,” Stiles said. “I sucked you off and then we...we...” he trailed off, his eyes distant.

“We what?”

“We were taken,” Stiles concluded, his face somber as the memories flooded through him.

“Yeah,” Derek said, tracing the moles on Stiles' face and down his neck to his chest. “We were.”

“I remember...Julia trying to pull my magic out of me.” His eyes caught Derek's, looking haunted. “I've never...nothing has ever hurt like that Derek, it was excruciating.”

“Yeah,” Derek agreed, stilling and letting Stiles work through the trauma in his own time.

“But you...you gave me the magic, you pushed it...I had no idea there was so much.”

“It's you,” Derek told him. “That's how strong you are.”

“It's how strong you are,” Stiles corrected. “My magic is only as deep as your strength of character.”

“Everything I am is because of you, Stiles,” Derek said, kissing him gently. “I was made like this, I am what I am because it's what you needed.”

“Whatever the reason, it saved our lives. You saved our lives.”

“We're going to have to agree to disagree on this point,” Derek said with a smile. “You saved our lives.”

Stiles laughed, the sound bright and beautiful, filling the emptiness that Derek had lived in since he'd fallen asleep.

“I remember you pulling me out of the chains, and they you were talking to someone, and carrying me and then...this. That's all there is. How did we get home?”

“We went to the hospital, but they couldn't help you. Your mom said that it was a magically induced stasis, because you'd used so much magic it had blown out your circuits, in a way.”

Stiles nodded, accepting it in a way that Derek had struggled with. “How long have I been out?”

“A week,” Derek told him. “It's Saturday again.”

“No shit!” Stiles exclaimed, laughing. “No wonder I'm starving. Derek, we need to get up now, cause I am thinking about eating a book or a pillow, or anything I can get my hands on.”

“No need for that,” Derek said, finally feeling like the world had finally righted itself. “There's plenty of food downstairs.”

“Let's go!” Stiles kissed Derek hard then threw off the duvet and got up, more than a bit shaky, grabbing the first pair of pants he could find, pulling one of Derek's tshirts over his head and shooting out the door. Derek pulled himself up to follow, grinning as he came down the stairs, hearing the shouts from the kitchen as Stiles appeared.

The scene was chaos when Derek entered the kitchen, Stiles wrapped up in no less than 6 kids, with Cora and Gavin crushing them all together, a group hug with Stiles at the center.

“Okay, I know, it's fine, I missed you too, don't choke me Matthew, I'm so hungry though...you guys have to let me go or I'll have to eat Danica!” he cried, picking up the girl in question and pretending to chew on her arm as she shrieked in delight. The adults watched, smiling and laughing in a manner that only Stiles seemed to bring out in them.

Derek thought his face would crack, his eyes filling with tears again as the love and acceptance the pack had for Stiles filled his chest, the ache a blessing.

“Okay, that's enough, let the man eat!” Peter yelled over the din, pulling people off Stiles one by one, making his way to to the center of the circle. “All of you get! Go into the woods and run off all this crazy energy. Stiles will be here when you get back!”

“We'll take them,” Gavin said, taking Jaime out of Nicole's arms and herding the rest towards the door. “Come on you lot. Cora, you too.”

Cora mumbled under her breath, but helped her brothers direct the flow of children out the back door while David rummaged in the fridge. He came out with a bowl of leftover fruit salad and sat Stiles down, placing it in front of him along with a much smaller bowl of whipped cream.

“First course,” he said with a grin, running a hand through Stiles' hair and across his neck, blatantly scenting him before heading back toward the fridge.

“Thanks!” Stiles said enthusiastically, scrapping all the whipped cream into the bowl. Derek slid into the seat beside him, stealing a piece of melon as the other adults joined them at the table.

“So Stiles,” Talia said from where she sat on Stiles' other side, reaching up to scent him as David had done. “You finally woke up, I'm please to see.”

“Yeah, apparently I've been sleeping for a while?”

“A full week,” Peter confirmed, watching Stiles eat with avid fascination and no small amount of disgust.

“That's crazy!” Stiles said with a laugh, chewing thoughtfully. “I didn't understand why Derek was so freaked out when I woke up, I mean, it was just a regular morning for me, so...”

He turned to smile crookedly at Derek, the heat in his eyes making it impossible for Derek to hide his blush. He ducked his head, smiling at the table, well aware that he was giving himself away, but he didn't care. Everyone at the table could smell very clearly what they had been doing before they came down anyway, they couldn't hide anything. There was nothing to hide, anyway. Everyone knew they were bonded.

“That's...good. Good that you're awake and good that you're so connected. A strong bond is an amazing thing.” Talia cast a glance into the kitchen where her bond mate was making a pile of fluffy pancakes and fresh bacon, humming to himself. He looked over at her and winked and at one time Derek would have been embarrassed by even such a small display of his parent's love and affection for each other, but now he understood. He could feel Stiles inside his mind, every part of him was in tune with the beautiful boy beside him, and he didn't care who knew just how he felt. Stiles was life to him, and he certainly couldn't begrudge his parents their behaviour.

Andrew and Nicole were smiling sappily in one anothers eyes, while Peter and Cara snipped and poked at each other, red high on Cara's cheeks as Peter waggled his eyebrows at her in blatant innuendo.

“Well, there's no shortage of strong bonds in this house,” Laura said, leaning closer to Michael, who had an arm wrapped around her, kissing her shoulder with a soft smile. “I can't wait.”

“Only a couple more weeks,” Michael replied, smiling at her. “You'll get your fall wedding.”

“Anyway,” Talia said, shaking her head at everyone and no one in particular. “I've already sent a text to your mother, so your parents should be here soon. And I'm sure Scott will be by later as well.”

“Scott's back?” Stiles asked, freezing with a forkful of fruit halfway to his mouth.

“He's been coming for the past few days,” Derek said quietly. “He usually stays for a few hours, sitting with you while I have a shower.”

“While you hover protectively over Stiles' sleeping body like some kind of mother bear,” Laura muttered under her breath, earning a glare from Derek.

“Aww, were you protecting me from Scott?” Stiles said, wearing a grin that clearly told Derek he would never hear the end of it. “Aren't you just the sweetest thing?”

“Shut it,” Derek snapped, but there was no heat in it, especially when Stiles leaned over and gave him a whipped cream flavoured kiss.

“I love you too, wolf man,” he said, turning back to his rapidly disappearing fruit salad. Derek blushed again, staring at Stiles in awe, still wondering how on earth he had been made for someone as amazing and unique as Stiles.

“Scott and Derek haven't got off on the right foot,” Peter informed Stiles, who shook his head in amazement.

“How could you not get along with Scott?” he asked. “He's the biggest, fluffiest puppy dog that ever lived. Seriously, you guys are all wolves, and yet none of you can even come close to him for sheer canine adorability.”

“That's not even a word,” Derek muttered, but the others laughed.

“Scott is perfectly wonderful,” Nicole announced, garnering agreement from everyone at the table. “It's just that the first time he met Derek, he was wrapped around your unconscious body like a octopus, and he growled when Scott and his unfamiliar scent entered the room.”

“It was a pretty good growl, too,” Andrew agreed. “You could hear it all the way downstairs.”

“He knew Stiles was bonded and he knew coming in that I'm a wolf,” Derek said in his own defence. “He should have expected me to be...protective.”

“Territorial is the word you're looking for,” Peter said, a smirk curving his lips.

“Be that as it may, he's come every day since he's been home, and he'll be thrilled to see you awake,” Talia added, smiling widely at Stiles, who was scrapping the bowl for the last of the whipped cream. He had a smudge of cream on his upper lip, and it was giving Derek thoughts that he shouldn't be having while sitting at a table with his grandmother and his parents.

“I can't wait to see him,” Stiles said, pushing the now empty bowl aside, David quickly taking it and replacing it with plates and cutlery. “It's been the best summer of my life, I admit,” he paused to give Derek a significant look before continuing, “but it would have been better if he'd been here. Oh shit! Does that mean I've missed the start of school?”

“It's Saturday, remember?” Derek told him. “School starts on Monday.”

“Oh, good,” Stiles said, grinning widely as David placed a massive platter of pancakes in front of him, followed by a plate of bacon, still chewy, just the way Stiles liked it. He dug right in, and Derek joined him, although he used quite a bit less syrup. Werewolf or not, he still didn't manage to tuck away as much food as Stiles did, but then again, he'd eaten the day before.

Derek was completely full and Stiles still going strong when the front door opened and a pair of footsteps rushed form the foyer into the kitchen.

“Stiles!” Claudia cried, tears filling her eyes, a happy smile splitting her face. John was right behind her, his face showing his relief at the sight of Stiles upright, mouth stuffed full of pancake.

“M'm! D'd!” Stiles said, still finishing his mouthful when Claudia pulled him into a tight hug, John wrapping them both in his arms.

“I'm so happy you're awake,” John murmured into Stiles hair, pulling back at last, a hand on the back of his neck. “Your mom was so sure but I...” he trailed off, meeting Stiles' equally wet eyes.

“It's okay, Dad,” he said. “I'm fine.”

“I knew it!” Claudia said, pulling back, cupping Stiles' cheeks with both hands. “I knew your magic would heal you.” She smiled, kissing him on the forehead before letting him go, directing him back to the seat beside Derek. Stiles sat and quickly polished off the rest of his plate.

“We've got some more information now, if you all want to hear it,” John said, standing behind Stiles with one hand on his chair and the other rubbing Claudia's back.

“Yes, please,” Stiles spoke up, pushing his plate aside and standing, taking Derek's hand to tug him up as well. “But let's do it in the other room, where it's softer. I'm exhausted.”

“You've been sleeping for a week!” Laura exclaimed.

“And apparently, I've been healing like a badass that whole time,” Stiles said. “And Derek wore me out when I woke up, so...” he trailed off, giving Laura a cheeky grin and pulling Derek toward the living room, sure that the rest of the pack would follow. Derek couldn't help the blush that rose up on his cheeks, it was definitely a weakness that he would have to get over, since he'd be spending his life with Stiles.

Stiles pushed Derek down in an armchair and sat in his lap, wrapping an arm around Derek's shoulders, settling in as Derek's arms came up around him and pulled him close. Derek lifted his face, leaning up to kiss Stiles softly, unable to keep from sucking Stiles' bottom lip into his mouth when he pulled back.

Everyone else found a spot to sit or stand and looking around, Derek felt a sense of deja vu. It was eerily similar to when he and Stiles had sat in an armchair much like the one they were currently in, facing all of the same people, with a few additions, as they had on the morning after they'd bonded.

“What can you tell us, John?” Talia asked, her face suddenly serious.

“Well, we've unravelled most of the story,” he said, leaning forward from his spot on the loveseat beside Claudia. “The darach's name is Julia Baccari. We managed to find evidence of her, apparently she was born in 1911, on the East Coast. During her late twenties she became emissary for a pack in Massachusetts. Her Alpha's name was Kali, which was confirmed by her reaction when I asked her about it. Kali bonded with another wolf, name of Ennis, but shortly after that, the pack...disappeared.”

His face was grim as he continued, “best we could discover, the pack vanished from the state and nothing was heard from them again. During that time there was a great deal of unrest between the were and non-were populations, so as you can imagine, there was little to no investigation into the disappearances. The official report states that there was no sign of foul play, so they brushed the matter aside.”

“She killed them all, as she said,” Stiles said, his face grim. “Didn't she?”

“I'm almost certain,” John replied. “There are no further records from anyone in the pack after that, and Julia herself claims that she destroyed them all. We've followed the trail further, and found a series of Nemetons that were drained and poisoned, here in the States and across the world, coinciding with the destruction of pack after pack.”

“Destroying a Nemeton like that would provide her with a massive influx of magic, but it would fade, some more quicker than others, depending on the strength and age of the Nemeton. The incidences were spread out in time and distance that no pattern was put together until now.”

“Shit,” Laura breathed, fear in her eyes. “She was after us this time.”

“Clearly,” Peter said, his expression cold and hard. Derek felt a shiver go through Stiles at the thought of it, rubbing his hand over Stiles' arm and shoulder, trying to instill as much comfort as he could.

“She certainly was, by her own admission,” John confirmed. “But once she realised that Stiles was a Spark, she shifted her focus.” Claudia leaned into him, pressing a kiss onto his shoulder as he continued.

“She's used several aliases over the years, most recently the name Jennifer Blake, in a small town in Florida, where she took down an old but smaller pack and the Nemeton they protected.”

“The Miller pack,” Esther said quietly, all eyes turning to her. “It was about four years ago. Joanna Miller was a good friend of mine, and the police down there didn't even try to figure out what had really happened.”

“I remember,” Talia said, “Their Nemeton began to die and then the house was burned to the ground. No survivors.”

“Shit,” Laura said again, looking lost. Michael pulled her closer, tucking his chin over her shoulder. “I remember that, too. They thought the fire was accidental.”

“Bullshit,” Peter scoffed, shaking his head. “There's no way they wouldn't have noticed the sound or smell of a fire. They were weakened and trapped, probably with mountain ash.”

“It looks that way, from the official report,” John agreed. “But it never went any further, once the insurance company declared it an accident.” Everyone was silent for a few moments before John continued.

“As I said, she came here to drain the Nemeton and destroy the pack, but shifted gears when she learned about Stiles. It seems that her meeting Paige was an unhappy accident. She overheard Paige and her friend Taryn discussing Derek and his scandalous bond and introduced herself, claiming that she could help Paige win Derek back.”

“It wasn't an unhappy accident,” Stiles said, looking up, meeting many curious eyes. “Well, it was an accident, perhaps, but not an unhappy one. If Derek hadn't been there, I would have died.”

“Stiles,” Derek began, but he was shushed with a finger across his lips, Stiles looking deep into his eyes.

“No, it's true. You saved me. You saved both of us.” He looked so sincere that Derek couldn't really argue with him.

“It was your magic,” he said quietly, looking into Stiles' somber brown eyes.

“And without your strength, it's useless to me,” he insisted, and Derek let it go, not wanting to derail the discussion too much. He could tell that Stiles was tiring quickly, and all he wanted in that moment was to get him back into their bed.

“Paige claimed that Julia told her that she could tear the bond from Stiles and bind Derek to Paige instead, once Stiles was dead. She said that she was appalled at first, interested but unwilling to hurt Derek and, as much as she claims to hate Stiles, she swears that she never wanted to kill him.”

“Well, she did a shitty job of showing it,” Peter said with a scoff.

“They met in a more private location and Paige said that's where things got a bit blurry. Claudia was able to confirm that Julia had used a mild compliance spell on her, a spell that strengthened over time, the more it was used. She issued a full confession after the spell was lifted. She's horribly sorry,” John said.

“She can take her apology and shove it up her...” Stiles began.

“Stiles!” Claudia cried, interrupting him. “Leave it. She's got to live with that.”

“No, I can't,” Stiles said, his voice pierce with anger and indignation. “Compliance spell or not, she still hated me enough to try and steal Derek from me. Ripping our bond apart would have killed us both, Mom.”

“I know,” Claudia agreed sadly.

“It's not exactly a big secret how a bond works! Especially a Spark bond,” Stiles went on, his body tense, ignoring Derek's attempts to soothe him. “Julia no doubt knew what she was doing, and Paige is an idiot if she thought she could enslave Derek like that. As if I would let her. He's my wolf and no psychotic bitch is going to take him from me!”

Stiles' arm tightened around Derek as he spoke, and Derek felt the magic coming to life inside him, brought to the fore by Stiles' anger.

“That's enough,” he said, standing up and distracting Stiles' line of thought. “You're right, but no one could take me away from you in any case. Enough talk for now, you need to go back to bed.”

“Derek,” Stiles tried, but Derek cut him off.

“Now,” he said, turning to John and giving him a nod. “Thank you for figuring everything out. I'm sure we'll talk more in the future, but we're going back to bed for a few hours. Stiles needs to sleep.”

“Alright,” John said, nodding. “That's about all there is to it, anyway.”

“We'll be here when you get up again,” Claudia said, smiling at her son.

Stiles looked at him and Derek could practically see the cogs in his mind working out if this was a battle he could win, but he wisely gave up the fight and agreed.

“Fine, I'll go to bed,” he agreed. “But only if we don't go to sleep right away.”

“Ugh!” Laura cried, earning a few chuckles. “We don’t want to hear about it.”

“I'll remember that when you're bonded,” Stiles said, but he followed without complaint, calling out a goodbye to everyone as Derek pulled him up the stairs.

 

***

 

By the time they'd reached the room, Derek was half hard, easily able to pick up the scent of Stiles' desire, not to mention the way it thrummed through the bond. He pushed the door open and pulled Stiles against him, picking him up in a smooth motion and carrying him through the door, his cock hardening even faster when Stiles' arms and legs wrapped around him, pressing them tight together.

He pushed the door shut and turned, pressing Stiles into it and diving right into a wet, filthy kiss. He'd missed everything about Stiles while he'd been sleeping, having it back was intoxicating. Stiles kissed him back eagerly, rocking his hips into Derek's as his long legs tightened around Derek's waist.

“Bed,” Stiles whispered when Derek pulled back, letting both of them take a much needed breath.

“No,” Derek replied into his neck, resisting the urge to let his fangs drop, sucking and biting at the smooth stretch of Stiles' neck as his hips found a rhythm matching Stiles'. “Want you here.”

“That's...incredibly hot,” Stiles said, gasping as one of Derek's hands slid down the back of his pants, cupping his ass even as he sought out Stiles' hole with a finger.

“You're still loose,” Derek said, a thrill running through him as he felt the puffy, unresistant entrance to Stiles' body, still wet with leftover lube and come. “Wanna fuck you like this.”

“Yeah...” Stiles panted, tugging harshly at Derek's hair, lifting his hips to get more friction on his erection. “Take my pants off.”

“Can't, not off,” Derek murmured, even as he slid Stiles' pants down over his ass, words failing him as he fell further into a swirling pool of Stiles, Stiles, Stiles. He tugged harder, pressing Stiles into the door with his chest to hold him still while he pulled his pants far enough off to free Stiles' cock. The movement shifted their positions, Stiles' legs came away from his waist, resting now on his arms, Stiles' ass cradling Derek's still clothed erection enticingly.

“Oh god, I can't believe we're doing this,” Stiles said, his hands scrambling over Derek's shoulders, hanging on for dear life, but Derek had more then enough strength to hold him up. He let one hand slide back into the cleft of Stiles' ass, thrusting two fingers in and out as the other tugged his pants down, enough to free his cock, gasping as it slid wetly across the cheek not in his grasp.

“Enough, enough, get in me!” Stiles exclaimed, pressing down into Derek's fingers instead of thrusting up, panting heavily into Derek’s ear.

He didn't reply, pulling Stiles apart with both hands and bracing him against the door as he pressed up, sliding back and forth in Stiles' crack before catching on the gaping rim of his hole, thrusting home at last, letting gravity pull Stiles' body down, sheathing him completely.

Stiles gasped and then moaned long and loud, music to Derek's ears as he mirrored the sounds, unable to keep himself from groaning deeply as he fucked Stiles with short, hard thrusts. The door shook with each one, and on any other day Derek may have been concerned about so obviously giving away what they were up to. But today, with the weight of Stiles in his arms and the grip of his ass around Derek's cock, the way his long fingers clenched almost painfully in Derek's hair, it all had him teetering on the edge of a sudden, mind blowing orgasm before he was nearly ready to stop.

“Stiles, Stiles, I can't...I'm,” he babbled, unable to continue as Stiles' hole squeezed him tighter, the vitality and immediacy of Stiles' release suddenly hot between their bellies, and Derek followed him over the edge eagerly, growling loud enough that it was almost a roar. His claws slipped out, pressing into Stiles' skin as he held him close, still thrusting, his fangs scraping across the fragrant skin of Stiles' neck as he came, filling Stiles' body even as Stiles' pleasure filled his mind.

“Fuuuuuck,” Stiles said, scraping his fingers across Derek's scalp, sated and blissful. “You shifting while you're fucking me is still the hottest thing ever, I swear.”

“Like that, do ya?” Derek asked around his fangs, leaning heavily into Stiles.

“God, so, so much,” Stiles told him, using his grip on Derek's hair to pull his head up, sucking Derek's bottom lip in his mouth before thrusting his tongue into Derek's mouth, turning the kiss dirty again. Derek indulged, falling under the sway of their mutual desire once more, his cock still hard inside Stiles. “Let's do it again.”

“You're insatiable,” Derek murmured into Stiles' lips.

“Are you complaining?” Stiles asked.

Derek didn’t answer, letting his actions speak for him. He bit down on Stiles' neck and stood up, turning and carrying him to the bed.

“That's what I thought,” Stiles said, his smugness clear in his voice as well as through the bond.

“Smugness isn't attractive,” Derek told him, unable to keep from smiling despite his assertion.

“Yeah, you love me.”

Derek pulled back and smiled down at Stiles, blown away by how amazing and ridiculous his mate was.

“Yeah,” he said. “I do.”

Stiles smiled back, pulling Derek down into another kiss.

 

***

 

It was well after lunch before Derek and Stiles emerged from their room. It seemed to Derek that Stiles was improving greatly, gaining sustenance from their togetherness as much as from the food he'd eaten. Derek would have been happy to stay in their room for the rest of the day, but he knew that Scott would be there before too long and now that Stiles was awake, the last thing Derek wanted was to meet Scott in their room. If Derek had his way, Scott would never step foot in their bedroom again.

“Come on, Stiles,” he said, pulling on the duvet that Stiles was trying to hide in.

“Nooooo!” Stiles whined, burying his head under a pillow as Derek pulled the duvet off the bed, averting his eyes so that the acres of pale skin wouldn't distract him from the task at hand. “Five more minutes!”

“Sure,” Derek said, tugging at the sheet now that the duvet was in a pile on the floor. Their bedding was overdue for a wash, especially considering the activity they had been engaging in for the past few hours. “We can stay up here, and when Scott arrives he can join us. He's your best friend, so he won't mind seeing you naked and covered in bites and hickeys and beard burn with hair that looks like sex. I'm sure the smell of our come isn't that strong, after all, we've only done it about five times in the past few hours.” He allowed his eyes to rove over Stiles' body, unable to keep himself from looking for long. He was drawn to Stiles like iron to a magnet, as if Stiles was the center he'd been seeking all along.

“Damn,” Derek said, tugging at the sheet and steadfastly ignoring his stiffening cock. Refractory period seemed to be a non existent concept between them, whether it was the bond or the magic, Derek didn't know. He wanted Stiles constantly. “Nevermind the hair. All of you looks like sex.”

“So why don't you come sex me up then, wolf man,” Stiles said with a cocky smirk, rolling over and letting his legs splay obscenely, cock twitching between them. His eyes were dark and hooded, his hair a mess, the marks of Derek's desire covering him. Derek could smell the come still wet inside him, knew that his hole was still lose and ready. He could see the come drying and flaking on Stiles' belly, could see the flush of Stiles' neck and chest, rubbed raw by Derek's beard. Derek's will wavered, but then he reminded himself that Scott would be knocking on their door soon, if they didn't get up and cleaned.

Anyone seeing him in this state, seeing Stiles like this, naked and wanton, even covered in the stamp of Derek's possession, inflamed his wolf. Scott seeing Stiles like this was out of the question.

“I'll make you a deal,” Derek said, leaning over Stiles, arms braced on the bed beside him. “Come into the shower with me and I'll make it worth your while.”

“Deal!” Stiles agreed, wrapping his arms around Derek's neck and pulling him down for a kiss. He lifted his hips and wrapped his legs around Derek's waist. Derek didn't hesitate to slip his arms under Stiles and pull him up off the bed, carrying him into the bathroom.

The showering took a lot longer than it needed to, unsurprisingly. The house was equipped with hot water on demand, so they didn't even have the threat of cold water to push them out, but when Stiles' fingers began to wrinkle and his legs were weak and shaky from yet another orgasm, Derek turned off the water and pushed him out.

He dressed quickly, shoring up his defences against a sex drunk and enticing Stiles, who still insisted they had time for another go before surfacing.

“Absolutely not,” Derek stated, stripping the bed and balling up the sheet, stuffing it in the hamper before pulling another out of the closet, tossing it on the bed and shaking the duvet out of its sweat and come soaked cover. “Get dressed, you sex fiend.”

“Hey, in my defence, I am a seventeen year old boy who is bonded to the hottest man in existence and I am made of magic that comes with some kind of freaky non existent refractory period, which means I can get it up pretty much whenever I want.” He stalked across the room, unhindered when Derek threw one of his shirts at him, smacking Stiles right in the face with it.

“We haven't even begun to test the limits of this, you know,” Stiles said, a shit eating grin directed at Derek as he pulled the shirt over his head, catching the underwear Derek tossed at him next. “We have to push it as far as we can, it would be irresponsible of us not to!”

“Push what?” Derek said, chuckling and throwing Stiles a pair of sweat pants next, before turning and beginning to remake the bed. Keeping extra sheets in their walk in closet was the best idea he'd ever had. Before Stiles he hadn't understood the need, but now he made sure to have several sheets and matching duvet covers available at any given time.

“How many orgasms we can have in a row!” Stiles exclaimed, leering at Derek with bright, passionate eyes. “We need to have a sex marathon, Derek. And soon. For science!”

Derek barked a laugh, tossing a pillow at Stiles' head, following it quickly with the second before balling up the pillowcases and tossing them in the hamper atop the duvet cover and sheet.

“You can tell yourself that, but really, all you want is multiple orgasms.”

“Of course I do!” Stiles said, fetching new pillowcases and pulling them onto the pillows before throwing them back at Derek, who caught them easily and placed them on the bed. “Don't you?”

“Being with you is one big orgasm,” Derek said reaching out to pull Stiles close, lifting his face with one hand on his jaw as the other slid around his waist. Stiles came easily, as he always did, and Derek felt for the thousandth odd time how lucky he was to have come home to Stiles.

“Flatterer,” Stiles said with a laugh, threading his fingers through Derek's hair and kissing him softly, the patience in the kiss at odds with his recent declarations.

“I love you,” Derek said earnestly, rubbing his nose across Stiles' temple.

“I love you,” Stiles replied, leaning into him heavily before pulling back, trailing one hand from the back of Derek's head and across his jaw, letting his nails scratch through Derek's beard on the way. “Now let's go before you distract me again. I'm famished.”

“Before I distract _you_?” Derek scoffed, but he let Stiles go and pushed him out of the room, leaving the duvet in a heap on the floor. At least they almost got the bed made...frankly, it was an improvement on their track record so far.

 

***

 

David had a platter of sandwiches and vegetables waiting for them in the kitchen when they went down. Stiles made quick work of it before making noise about looking for more, but Derek pulled him away, knowing that dinner wasn't too far away, the smells of something delicious already emanating from the crock pots his Dad had set up across the counter top.

By the time Scott arrived Derek and Stiles were planted in what Derek was coming to think of as their chair. It was a large, overstuffed armchair, big enough to fit both of them but small enough that there wasn't room for them to sit side by side. It was no hardship for Derek to pull Stiles into his lap, arms wrapped around him, his face at just the right height to press into Stiles' neck.

Derek heard Melissa McCall's car from the road, having come to recognize it over the past few days. He didn't say anything, just holding Stiles closer, jealous of the time that Scott would steal from him. Part of him understood Scott's hesitation, understood why he wasn't Derek's biggest fan, but his attitude had put up a wall between them. It hadn't been helped along by Derek's protective behaviour when they'd met, that's for certain. Derek wondered if it would have been different if Stiles had been awake to introduce them, or if Scott would have hated him anyway.

It was a few bare moments before Scott was knocking on the door, his tension and anxiety noticeable from where Derek sat trying not to give away how apprehensive he was about this meeting.

“Scott!” Stiles yelled when he heard the knock, dashing up out of Derek's arms and into the foyer, throwing himself at a slack jawed Scott McCall.

“You're awake!” Scott said, stunned, stumbling backwards as Stiles hugged him fiercely. Derek clenched his jaw and got up to follow him, holding back the jealousy that was clawing to the surface of his mind.

“I've been up since this morning,” Stiles told him, laughing loudly at Scott's gobsmacked face, patting his uneven jawline with one big hand before he threw an arm around Scott's shoulder, pulling him close and leading him back into the living room.

“I can't believe you're awake,” Scott said, still thrown by Stiles' exuberant appearance at the front door.

“Believe it,” Derek said, impatient already. Stiles threw him a bemused glance before pushing Scott down on the couch and collapsing there beside him.

“And you've already met Derek, I hear,” Stiles said, smiling widely at Derek, the love he pushed through the bond taking the edge off of Derek's mood.

“Yeah, something like that,” Scott said, eyeing Derek warily before turning his attention back to Stiles, as if Derek wasn't even in the room. “I can't believe you went and got mated!” he said, shaking his head at Stiles, who responded with a bounce on the couch and a blinding grin.

“I know, right? I can hardly believe it myself.” Derek could feel Stiles' happiness through the bond, thankful for the connection, using it to calm his restless wolf. He slid onto the couch behind Stiles, pulling his mate back into his lap and trying not to glare at Scott over his shoulder.

“How uh...how's that going?” Scott asked, actively trying to pretend that Derek wasn't there.

“Dude, you have no idea. Derek is the best bond mate ever, it's insane,” Stiles said, leaning back into Derek, nuzzling Derek's shoulder with his cheek. “I mean, I've only loved him forever, but...I had no idea it was a real possibility, so...surprise!”

Scott looked sceptical, eyeing Derek appraisingly.

“Does he ever let you go?” Scott asked, not even trying to hide his glare.

Stiles, either ignoring the tension in the room or unaware of it, both options being just as likely as the other, threw back his head and laughed. Scott looked confused, and Derek wanted to shove him out the door. His antagonism hadn't eased at all since Stiles was awake, in fact, it seemed to Derek that it was worse. He was clearly unhappy that Stiles was bonded, and his opinion of Derek could not be lower.

“Of course,” Stiles said, still chuckling, rubbing Derek's arms where they were wrapped around him. “But...the bond is still kind of new, and his psycho ex and a darach just tried to kill us and then I was out for a week, so you can understand why he's a little...protective.” Stiles leaned and and nuzzled Derek's cheek with his nose, and all the love and protectiveness Derek was feeling surged to the surface. He let out a rumbling growl and pulled him closer, burying his face in Stiles' neck.

“I guess,” Scott said, sceptically. He seemed like he wanted to say more, but his eyes kept flicking from Stiles face to where Derek's arms were wrapped around him, to Derek's face, still pressed against Stiles' skin, then to a spot behind them and back again. Derek sighed. He didn't want to let Stiles go, at all, especially with Scott looking at him as if he couldn't be trusted. As if there was a single other person on the planet more concerned with Stiles' well being than him.

And yet, Derek was determined to be better than that, to rise above Scott's pettiness and suspicion. He pulled himself back, loosening his grasp of Stiles' waist, giving him a soft kiss where the bond mark was before lifting his head.

“I'll go and get us some drinks,” he said brusquely. He lifted Stiles off his lap and stood, letting Stiles slide onto the couch in his spot, pleased that the scent he left behind would enfold Stiles. Scott may not be able to smell it, but it still pleased Derek's wolf instincts. “Scott, you want a coke?”

“Uhh, sure,” Scott said, brows furrowed as he watched Derek walk behind Stiles, letting his hand drag over Stiles' shoulders and neck on his way out of the room.

“Me too!” Stiles called after him.

Derek looked back and raised a brow before replying, “iced tea for you.”

“Hey!” Stiles protested, but the exchange got a chuckle from Scott, at least.

“Please, you know caffeine makes you crazy,” Scott said, ignoring Stiles' huff of annoyance. “More crazy, that is.”

“Hey, I have it on good authority that both you and Derek like my particular brand of crazy,” Stiles insisted. Scott's response was muffled, and although Derek could have extended his senses to hear it, he pushed aside the urge, turning his attention to pulling drinks out of the fridge and rifling through the pantry for snacks.

“There's fresh snickerdoodles in the blue tins,” David said from his place at the counter, his laptop and a pile of massive books in front of him.

“Thanks, Dad,” Derek said, pulling one of the half dozen blue tins off the shelf and putting it on the counter, watching as David turned his attention back to the screen in front of him. It was uncharacteristically quiet in the house. Most of the adults were out, having taken the kids on a last ditch summer adventure, Derek recalled something about the lake and ice cream, but he hadn't been paying close attention to anything except for Stiles lately.

Derek was sad to have missed it. Both Gavin and Ryan were going back to college the next day, and all the kids would be in school again, except for the youngest ones. He was stunned suddenly when it hit him how fast the summer had gone.

He would be back to work and Stiles back to school on Monday. Their days would settle into a routine, something that Derek was longing for more than he'd expected. He was ready to put the chaos of the last week behind him, and focus on working hard and supporting Stiles through his senior year of high school. Derek also realised that Stiles would be wanting to go to college the next year, and that would probably mean uprooting his life again, but it would be worth it.

He'd go wherever Stiles wanted to go, without hesitation.

“Working on a new textbook?” he asked, watching as his Dad flipped open one of the books and began highlighting a passage.

“Yep,” David replied. “A Comprehensive History of Werewolves in North America.” He grinned at Derek before turning his attention back to the text in front of him.

“That's...interesting,” Derek said, his attention caught momentarily by a burst of laughter from the living room.

“It will be,” David said. “It's the first in a supernatural creatures series I'm working on for university level courses. Hopefully not as dry and obscure as the previous texts on the subject. Plus, it's a pretty nice chunk of change.”

Derek returned his father's smile as David tucked the highlighter behind his ear and turned back to the computer. David had been writing werewolf and supernatural based textboks for various schools and institutions for as long as Derek could remember. His work load was intense when he got a new assignment, but since he made his own hours, it allowed him the time to handle the care and feeding of a large pack of hungry, and often messy, wolves. It worked out for the best, since David was the most organized person in the house, and by far the best cook.

While Talia's job as a psychologist allowed her to set her own hours as well, as the administration of the pack took up a surprising amount of time. Derek's parents were always busy, but they worked like a well oiled machine, smooth and intuitive, always knowing what the other needed and what the pack needed, usually before it became an issue. Their relationship was the ideal, and until Derek had found Stiles, he hadn't appreciated the intricacy and trust in such a bond, but he knew that he'd never take it for granted now. If he and Stiles could be half as in sync as David and Talia, he would be thrilled.

“How's the visit going?” a voice asked from the kitchen table, and Derek jumped, just a bit. He hadn't even noticed his grandmother at the table, which was partly due to his inattention and partly to her stillness and control over her body's noise. She had been as exceptional an alpha's mate as David was and her age only made her more formidable.

Derek smiled at his Dad again before picking up the drinks and cookies and joining Esther at the table.

“It's...all right,” he said, trying to be honest without giving too much away. Then again, he needn't have bothered, as Esther didn't miss much, and her intuition was always bang on.

“Really?” she asked, surprised. “I'd say it was a disaster. Better now that you're in here, admittedly.”

Derek sighed and slumped in his chair. “Is it that obvious?”

“That Scott all but hates you and the feeling is mutual? Yes, definitely. Be grateful that the rest of them are out with the kiddos this afternoon.”

“I am,” Derek agreed. “Peter, Laura and Gavin especially.” He sighed again, playing absently with the edge of the cookie tin, thoughts turned inward. He didn't know what to do about the Scott situation, but he knew that he was going to have to be the bigger man, as much as his wolf wanted to storm into the living room and pull his mate away from the intruder who was demanding his attention. Scott hadn't done anything to earn that kind of reaction, despite his snippy comments and general hostility. He cared deeply about Stiles, and only wanted the best for him, the problem was that he didn't think Derek was best for Stiles, and it showed.

“Well, you are certainly the right wolf to be mated to our Spark,” Esther said. “I can see that you're struggling with how to deal with Stiles' friend and his reaction to your bond. How are you going to handle the situation?”

“There isn't really a situation,” Derek replied. “Scott is his friend and of course he's protective. And it must have been a shock to see Stiles unconscious like that, after what we'd gone through.” Derek frowned, thoughtful. He knew why Scott was acting the way he was, but that didn’t mean he had to like it, or let Scott get away with it.

“It was a shock, certainly. But don't you think he's overreacting considering that Stiles is awake now?” Esther asked.

“Exactly,” Derek said. “It's a bit over the top, and it's making my wolf...restless.”

“Of course it is. It's a natural reaction when a wolf feels like someone else is trying to take its mate.”

Derek's frown grew deeper, feeling even more aggravated at the thought. Another burst of laughter rang from the other room, Stiles' delight shining clear through the bond. His mate was happy, settled, and it calmed the wolf that was prowling inside of Derek. After the trauma of last Saturday and the uncertainty of the past week, it was a refreshing feeling.

“Yeah, but...Scott doesn't want to take him away, really. I know he isn't happy that Stiles bonded with me, but it's not as if he can change that.”

“I don't suppose he can,” Esther agreed.

“I guess I can be patient with him,” Derek said, meeting Esther's perceptive gaze. “He's not a wolf, so he doesn't understand the strain he's putting on me by acting the way he has.”

“And you can't hold that against him, but you can educate him.”

Esther smiled a sweet, innocent smile that Derek was certain had fooled many people in her time, but Derek knew better. Everything she'd said had led him to that conclusion.

“I suppose I should be grateful that you use your powers for good and not evil,” Derek said, standing up.

“Consider it my gift to the world,” Esther replied. Derek leaned over and rubbed his nose against her cheek before gathering up the supplies and heading back to the living room.

It was only a moment before Stiles and Scott's voices came into focus again, but Derek hung back. He knew he shouldn't eavesdrop but he couldn't resist, he had to listen, just for a minute. Just so he knew what he was heading into.

“I just...I can't believe you can do all that magic,” Scott was saying, his voice full of awe. “You've always tested so low, I mean, even I tested higher in magical ability, and I'm practically useless.”

“Not useless, it's just...not your thing,” Stiles assured him, and Derek's chest felt achy with love for him. The reassurance sounded familiar, as if it was something Stiles said a lot, and Derek didn't doubt it. “My test showed that I would be proficient if I had any magic to speak of, but yours was more a core of magic with no way of tapping into it, so...”

“Yeah, opposites,” Scott said, and both boys laughed.

“Right,” Stiles said. “But it was...I know you aren't happy about the bond. About how quickly it happened, and how dependant we are on each other.”

“And how possessive and territorial he is,” Scott interrupted. “You didn't see him when you were asleep, he was barely in control. It looked like he wanted to tear my throat out with his teeth!”

“Yeah, he does have a healthy dose of murder brows,” Stiles said fondly, no doubt with the sappy grin on his face that he always got when thinking about Derek. “But you need to understand, Scott. We'd almost died. He'd been tied up and poisoned and had to sit there and watch while that psycho bitch tortured me and tried to kill me by tearing the magic out of me.”

“I know, but...”

“And then,” Stiles continued, interrupting Scott in turn. “He's the one who saved us, even though it was me using the magic. He's the one that pushed it into me, Scott. Our bond, it's not just the usual wolf bond, it's different. It's stronger. Usually when a wolf bonds with a human it's weaker than when two wolves bond, but we're not like that. You may have forgotten everything you learned about bonds in health class, but I haven't. Spark bonds are the strongest there are, and we have the strongest bond on record. We're only that strong when we're together.”

“It doesn't sound healthy,” Scott said, and Derek could practically see the frown on his face.

“Maybe it doesn't sound healthy, but for us, it is. We're not holding each other back or forcing each other into anything, it's one hundred percent mutual. We depend on each other for everything, Scott. It's not like a normal bond. If I'd died, he would have died to. We're connected.”

“So he was saving his own skin,” Scott scoffed.

“Ugh, no it's not like that,” Stiles said, frustration creeping into his tone. “I mean, it is, but it's not. He's everything to me, he always has been. I've loved him my whole life, Scott, and you know that. I talked about him enough.”

“Yeah, you did,” Scott admitted. “It was kind of annoying, to be honest. And now that you've bonded with him, and you're living with him, it's going to take over your life.”

“Oh,” Stiles said. “You think I won't have time for you now, don't you?”

Scott scoffed, but his heart rate shot up, so Derek knew Stiles had hit the nail on the head.

“You have to know that's crazy,” Stiles said, his voice light again. “Okay, so he's my wolf. My bond mate, my boyfriend, my life, I know that. But you're my best friend. Scott, you're my brother, right?”

“Yeah,” Scott agreed hesitantly.

“That's not going to change. Yeah, I won't be around as much, but you've already planned to take more hours at the vet clinic and we'll still have school. And there's no way we're stopping the video game marathons. Derek's had me all to himself all summer, but now you’re back, so he'll just have to deal with sharing me.”

“Really? You don't want to be around him, like...all the time?”

“Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see anyone else, ever. I had a life before Derek and I still do. Just now, there's a hell of a lot more sex in my life, that's all.”

Derek chuckled at Scott's gagging, deciding that was a good time to join them. He entered the room and walked around the couch again, making some noise so they would know he was coming. He handed Scott his coke and Stiles his iced tea, opening the tin and taking out a few cookies before handing it to Stiles with a wink.

He took his own drink and retreated back to their armchair, leaving the boys on the couch. He knew now why Scott was so insecure, the idea of losing Stiles was unbearable, even for someone not bonded to him the way Derek was. He understood how scary the prospect could be, so he could back off a bit. He knew that Stiles was his for the rest of their lives and nothing would ever change that. He could let him go a bit, he didn't need to hang on so tight. Stiles wasn't going anywhere.

Stiles pushed gratitude through the bond as Derek settled, munching one of the best snickerdoodles in the state as he leaned back, settling in. He opened the can and took a drink before putting it down, trading it in for the book that was beside the chair, half finished. It was some kind of crime mystery, probably Nicole's, but Derek figured it was worth a try. He cracked it open and began reading, pleased when the tension the room dissipated as the others dug into the tin of cookies.

Before long they were talking about the upcoming school year, of senior scribe and the epicness of the pranks they planned to pull, making new plans to accommodate Stiles' new found magical abilities. Derek lifted his eyes from the book and watched Stiles, taking in the glow of happiness, his breath stolen once again by the vibrancy and colour that Stiles' existence exuded.

They were going to be just fine. Better than fine. They were going to be amazing.

 

***

 

Derek pulled into the parking lot at Beacon Hills High School, immediately scoping out a parking space near the front of the school. He pulled in deftly, the Expedition may not handle like the Camaro had but it was pretty smooth nonetheless. He put it in park and turned it off before he turned to face Stiles. His mate was looking toward the double doors at the front of the school where several groups of teens loitered, clustered in mostly small groups, happy faces and glum looks in equal measure. Stiles' face was more glum than happy, though Derek knew he was glad to start the year, eager to get it over with.

“You don't look all the pleased to be here,” Derek commented, leaning against the headrest as he watched the expressions flickering across Stiles' face.

“I'm looking forward to getting it over with,” Stiles said, echoing Derek's thoughts. “But I'd much rather crawl back into bed with you, to be honest.”

“What, you didn't get enough of me this morning?” Derek asked with a smirk, loving the way Stiles' cheeks flushed pink, not from embarrassment, but from the memory of coming into wakefulness with Derek's cock buried deep inside him, as he had frequently since the first time.

“I can never get enough, are you kidding?” Stiles told him, turning to gaze back at Derek with passion bright eyes. “School is going to take up so much of my time, and not just during the day, either. I'd rather use that time to do...other things.”

“I'm sure you would,” Derek chuckled. “I'd chain you the bed if I could, but I have to go back to work this morning anyway. You may as well use the time to go to school.” He noted the smell of Stiles' arousal even as the words left his mouth, so he filed that thought away to explore at a later date.

Stiles looked back at him with a sour face, mock betrayed.

“Whatever,” he scoffed, turning to look at the school again, glaring at the front doors as though they'd personally offended him.

“Right then, let's go” Derek said, undoing his seatbelt and getting out, moving around the car to where Stiles was all but falling out of his seat, his backpack crashing to the ground beside him. Derek took his arm and pulled him upright, closing the door behind him and turning to lean against it. He pulled Stiles closer, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist as he leaned in and scented his neck, breathing hotly across Stiles' sensitive skin, revelling in the shiver it produced.

He let his lips travel further down to the hickey he'd worked into Stiles' skin just that morning, half hidden under the edge of his collar. He sucked gently, not wanting to make it any more obvious, but when Stiles moaned and shuddered in his arms he couldn't help but pull harder on the skin, his eyes drifting closed as the taste and feel of Stiles drew him in.

“Shit, stop it,” Stiles said, pulling back, though his hands came up, one wrapping around Derek's neck. The other tugged playfully on Derek's beard, his fingernails scratching over Derek's jaw in a way that never failed to send the blood rushing to Derek's cock, which was already half hard at least.

“Are you sure you're a werewolf and not a vampire?” Stiles asked with a smirk so smug that Derek couldn't help but flash a bit of fang, cutting off Stiles' moan of arousal with his mouth, kissing him deep and wet before easing up, letting the kiss settle into something more loving.

Stiles didn't seem to want it to end, so Derek kept kissing him, restraining himself in an attempt to keep it light, aware of all the hushed whispers breaking out around them, almost all of which were aimed in their direction. He ignored them, making a mental note to ask Stiles that afternoon about the inevitable comments. No doubt Stiles would be fielding more than a few enquiries about the 'total hottie' that he was 'full out macking on' in the school parking lot.

Derek lost himself in the bliss that was kissing Stiles, letting his hands explore the lean lines of Stiles' back, wishing that he could dip them under the hoodie Stiles was wearing. He knew it wasn't the time or place and then the first bell rang out through the school in a blatant reminder of where and when they were.

The didn't break the kiss just yet, both of them aware that Stiles had a full five minutes to get to his first class, and he knew the school well enough by now that he could get there in no time.

The sound of a throat clearing beside them is what pulled them out of it a moment later.

“Seriously you guys, knock it off. We're gonna be late,” Scott said, his judgey face firmly on.

“In a minute,” Stiles said, kissing Derek deeply once more, pulling back with his bottom lip between his teeth, smiled as he let it go, certainly feeling Derek's cock twitch in his pants where they were pressed together.

“Remember that feeling, wolf man,” Stiles said, his voice low and hot. It was Derek's turn to shudder as Stiles pulled away, radiating smugness.

“As if I could forget, magic boy,” he replied, letting his hand run over Stiles' back and shoulder as he leaned down to pick up his backpack, pressing on the hickey as he stood, pleased to hear Stiles gasp as he touched the sensitive skin.

“I'll see you at four.”

“I'll be here,” Derek said, grinning as Scott pulled Stiles away, rolling his eyes. Stiles let himself be pulled, eventually turning and moving a little quicker. Derek caught his laughter as Scott complained about being subjected to the 'repulsive' sight of his brother's tongue in Derek's mouth.

“If I never see that again it'll still be way too soon.”

“Protip Scott,” Stiles replied, patting his friend on the shoulder. “Never come into our room without knocking.” Derek joined Stiles in laughing as Scott gagged exaggeratedly in response, waiting until the pair had disappeared into the school before turning and climbing back into the car. As he drove away, he felt a surge of love flowing into the bond, the tug in his gut warming him all the way through at the thought of Stiles waiting for him that afternoon, the rest of their lives ahead of them.

Derek was bound to the pack, to the land, and to Stiles. And for the first time in his life, he was truly and completely free.

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this because the idea would not leave my head, and it developed along the way, as my fics almost always do. Then I saw the themes for Sterek Week and I just knew that I had to wait to post it! SterekMates all the way. I've been sitting on this fic for months! Sheesh! 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed!


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